Jigsaw
by Tribbith
Summary: Set after 'Journey'. When Mr Schue suggests taking a small vacation with the glee club, how will the kids cope with spending so much time with their teammates, and how will they react to the tragedies that begin to unfold? On temporary hiatus
1. Chapter 1

**Jigsaw is my first attempt at a Glee fanfiction, and since it was first started six months ago, it totally needs a revamp which I'm getting to. Anyway, the pairings are canon (for now), and though it focuses on all of the glee club, it's predominately a **_**Finchel **_**fic, just so you know. Thanks in advance for reading, and reviews are really, really appreciated! ~Tribbith**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or anything associated with it. What a shame :(**

Finn wasn't sure what he'd expected after Regionals; he'd never bothered to think that far ahead. In his mind at all times had been the firm belief that New Directions would go home with a massive win; screw Jesse St James if he thought he could belt his tunes out better that Rachel Berry. Despite the fact that they were new to the world of show choirs, Finn truly believed that they had what was needed to blow the judges away. They were the underdogs, and in every good movie, the underdogs triumphed against all the jackasses who told them they couldn't do it.

But then Finn remembered School of Rock (a secret favourite of his). Everyone who watched that movie believed that Jack Black would take the kids to victory, and yet, after everything they'd worked hard to achieve, they lost to a bunch of assholes. Watching it the first time around, Finn cursed at the TV, absolutely devastated for the amazingly talented kids (especially Freddie the drummer, who was Finn's favourite, mainly because the kid had skill). Now he knew what it actually felt like, and the reality was much worse than he'd anticipated. If only he'd convinced himself that they would lose!

But no, he'd had faith in his friends, in himself, and in the end, they'd done their very best. This was the only thing that kept him going... well, that and Rachel Berry.

Rachel, unlike Finn, had prepared herself for a loss. Though she could never admit it to anyone, with everything she put her heart into, she made sure to prepare for the worst scenario possible. Whether it was an audition for a commercial jingle or an attempt to score full marks in her English assignment, Rachel forced herself to prepare for a failure, because in reality, she was still just a girl in high school, waiting for her transformation into a star. With every blow came a piece of advice, some mistake to learn from, and because of this attitude, Rachel had grown as a person and a performer.

Therefore, as Miss Sylvester spoke the two words that broke her heart into pieces, Rachel had to admit defeat with some semblance of dignity, regardless of her overwhelming need to kick Jesse in the groin. If she couldn't be strong then the rest of glee club would crumble. So, as she listened to Mr Schue and Puck strumming soft harmonies into her ears, she made sure that only one tear rolled down her cheek.

Will sang with all the emotion that he could muster, since he was exhausted from everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. He stopped himself from crying at the sight of the kids in front of him, who had been exceptionally brave, all things considered. Puck sang perfectly, which Will appreciated tremendously. He'd expected him to make some sort of excuse when he'd first asked for his help, yet the kid got it straight away; Will wasn't the only one who had been disappointed.

He finished his rendition of Over the Rainbow, and after bowing to the unexpected applause, Will made his excuses and left. He needed someone to talk to, and in the circumstances, only one person would do.

Thinking about Emma's argument with Figgins sent a wave of goose bumps along Will's arms. He'd never seen her so passionate, and to think that her fury came from a love of the glee kids, a love of _him;_ it was hard to believe. He walked to her office in a daze, not sure he could stop himself from bombarding her with kisses in front of everyone that passed by.

**Glee!**

Puck found it surprisingly easy to admit that the club's loss had been a devastating blow for him. For so long, being part of New Directions had been surreal and stupid. He was the hot stud of McKinley, and yet he found himself singing wimpy songs about rainbows and love. Acafellas has been different since he'd joined with an objective; reel in the hot moms. The songs had been manly and sexual, which defined Puck to a T, and from that to friggin' songs about hair! Many times he'd found himself tempted to walk out of the choir room, truly back on the team that threw the slushies, not received them. Hell, even before their Regionals performance, Puck had come to realise that glee was just a girly distraction from crap at home and crap at school, and that it would never hold his attention for long. When Mercedes had voiced what he was thinking, that they wouldn't be friends after glee, she was right. He would be Noah Puckerman, Jewish stud and high class jerk once more.

But then he became a father. He'd watched Quinn in pain, and had felt completely useless because he couldn't help her. His baby girl, his baby Beth, made him realise something - Glee was for losers, and he'd knocked up his best friend's girl; that made him a loser. Even if he wanted to be a stud again, he didn't have the choice because he was a loser, and he belonged in glee, with his loser friends. Surprisingly, he was alright with that.

**Glee!**

"That was lovely Noah." Rachel was the first to compliment his performance as the rest of the glee club began to wake from their emotional stupor, wiping away tears that had escaped during the song. Rachel gave Puck's arm a friendly squeeze of encouragement, causing Quinn to appear instantly by his side. Despite the time they'd known each other, she still didn't consider Rachel a friend. She sure as hell could sing, no one could deny that, but she was the girl who had pined after Finn for so long, and she was the girl that had blabbed about her baby's real dad; Quinn didn't hate her, but she refused to be best friends.

Now, watching her complimenting Puck sent a shiver down the blonde's body; she was jealous of Rachel Berry. Though Puck had admitted his love for her, Quinn hadn't decided if she could return the favour. Noah Puckerman was a self proclaimed badass, which meant that screwing as many people as he could was high on his priority list. Though she'd once been against the idea of being his girlfriend, without a baby protruding from her stomach, Quinn was beginning to like the proposition more and more; she reckoned she could rein him in if she tried hard enough. To gain his attention, she pretended to brush something off of his shirt before placing a tender peck on his cheek.

"You nailed it," she whispered, smirking at the tiny flash of embarrassment that appeared on Puck's face; she hadn't kissed him in so long.

Finn, who had been watching up until that point, found himself looking away. It had been months since his split from Quinn, and he was finally beginning to forgive Puck, yet seeing the two together did uncomfortable things to his heart. He had no romantic feelings for Quinn at all (he loved his Xbox more than he did her), but she was still a constant reminder of the time he'd wasted in their relationship, and of the guy that he used to be. Rachel had fallen for him from the word go, and if only he'd known the truth about the baby sooner, the two of them could have been extremely happy... probably.

For now, Finn had no idea where he stood. Rachel had kissed him in the stairwell (Best. Kiss. Ever.) and he'd declared his love for her at Regionals, yet had anything actually changed between the two of them? She'd barely spoken to him after their loss, and though she'd rested her head on his shoulder while holding his hand (he missed her touch already), she'd done nothing to suggest that she had feelings for him, let alone the 'L' word. He had a plan though... sort of. Though he wasn't a particularly romantic kind of guy, Finn was determined to sweep Rachel off her feet. Since she was a vegan, was she opposed to receiving flowers? They were being murdered or something, right? He thought about baking a cake (or at least attempting it), but he wasn't sure if milk hurt the cows, and the last thing he wanted to do was upset her. While wondering if teddies were made from real bears, Finn didn't notice Rachel's swift exist, soon followed by Quinn's.

**Glee!**

Will hurried down the crowded halls, eager to be in Emma's presence. He wasn't afraid to admit that he loved her, and though she hadn't explicitly said it, he was positive she felt the same. He rounded the corner near her office and sighed to himself; he could see the beautiful woman working on something, a tiny crease between her eyebrows.

"Mr Schuester?" Will stopped in his tracks; if he wasn't so nice, he would have cursed at the hold up. He turned to face one of his students, a quiet girl called Lisa, who nervously held her Spanish text book in her grasp.

Will let out a quiet sigh. "Yes Lisa?"

The girl looked unreasonably frightened, though after biting her lip and tugging nervously on her hair, she plucked up the courage to address her teacher. "Would... would you mind h-helping me with the homework you set? I'm h-having a little trouble with it..."

Will gave a sympathetic smile while chastising himself. He had plenty of time to talk with Emma, but for now, his kids had to come first. "Sure thing, let's head over to the classroom."

**Glee!**

Emma hummed along to the quiet blur of the radio as she finished off some overdue paperwork. She often wondered if Will thought she did nothing all day, since whenever he visited her office, she was always alone. She returned her thoughts to the last form she had to fill out, only to realise that she'd been doodling Will's name all over the paper (she'd only written Carl's once).

A brisk rap on the door made Emma jump in her seat, courtesy of Rachel Berry. She signalled for the girl to come in (but not before hiding all traces of her childish scrawls), and watched curiously as Rachel seemed hesitant to take a seat. She seemed almost... embarrassed?

"Hi Rachel," Emma began, deciding to use the silence to her advantage. "I'm really sorry about Regionals and glee being cancelled by Principal Figgins and the fact that I didn't come to see you guys perform and the whole debacle with Jesse St James and-"

"Miss Pillsbury, have you been taking vitamin D?"

Emma's cheeks flushed for a second. She straightened out the papers on her desk while trying to gain some composure. "Look Rachel, I am truly sorry about everything. I should have been there to support you kids, yet due to my fallout with Mr Schuester, I was too frightened to show my face, and that was wrong. I hear you were amazing." She hesitantly raised her gaze to meet Rachel's eyes; it was a relief to see that she was smiling.

"That's okay Miss P. I paid a member of the audience to capture it all on film, so I'll be able to give you a copy of our performance within the week." Emma's eyes shone with tears of appreciation. "Besides, I have some great news to tell you. I assumed that Mr Schue would have passed it on-" Rachel spluttered at the rush of colour in the counsellor's cheeks and hurried to continue, "but anyway, Principal Figgins has given glee club another year!"

It felt amazing to be able to tell someone, especially since Emma's response was so heart warming. Rachel rather liked Miss Pillsbury, regardless of her phobia of germs, and after watching her react to the news, she liked her even more. It was her eyes that were the first to respond. People had made countless jokes about her overly large eyes, yet somehow, they managed to get even bigger as the shock set in. Her mouth was the next to follow as it fell slack, releasing a mixture between a scream and a laugh of hysteria. Emma flew out of her seat, and unable to hide her excitement, she jumped into the air, almost falling in her high heels.

"Oh my gosh!" she screeched as she grabbed Rachel in a celebratory hug. Emma was so pleased that she couldn't be bothered to worry about possible germs on Rachel's homemade sweater. Still, even with her fear of mess, Emma realised how inappropriate it was to hug her students, despite the brilliant occasion. She quickly pulled away, smiling happily to let Rachel know how she was feeling. "That's great news Rachel, absolutely great." Unsure if that was everything, Emma took back her seat, folding her hands daintily while still smiling at Rachel. "Was that all you wanted to talk to me about?"

Emma was an expert at reading body language, which was a great weapon for fighting the battle of teenage insecurities. Most of the time, the signs were obvious; twitching, sweating, stuttering, that sort of thing. With kids like Rachel Berry, however, it was a little more difficult to interpret, though certainly not impossible. Emma watched Rachel's lip tremble while her eyelids fluttered for a moment; that was all the counsellor needed to know when Rachel replied with a lie.

"Yes, that was everything." She gave her trademark smile as she headed towards the door, but not before Emma stopped her.

"Rachel, you know you can speak to me about anything."

Rachel returned her gaze to Miss Pillsbury, and after thinking it through, realised that she was right; she could talk to her about anything. In fact, Miss P had experience in the matter, which made her sit down, take a deep breath, and tell her about her problem.

"How do you know when you're in love?"

**Glee!**

Principal Figgins was a tolerant man of sorts. He put up with his neighbour's early morning nude ritual (which involved praying to the sun whilst butt naked), he put up with his wife's constant nagging for this and that (why she needed another pink toilet seat cover he would never know) and he put up with his hell of a job (one name; Sue Sylvester). Still, everyone has a limit, and Figgins was no exception. If he'd known that glee club was going to be such a hassle, he would have kicked Will Schuester out of his office himself so many months ago. Actually, he wouldn't have. Despite the fact that most of the students (and teachers) thought he was incompetent, Principal Figgins loved his job. Sure, it often involved kids soiling in the classrooms and parents complaining about 'hazardous waste', but there were definitely perks too, like... well, Figgins was sure that some perks existed, though he put it down to exhaustion when he failed to think of any.

Therefore, after another year at McKinley, Figgins decided to do a bit of last minute math. He's had a suspicion that he had under spent on the budget thanks to a little incident involving an error when purchasing napkins (long story short, the company providing the school with napkins had delivered five times the amount needed, and after selling them to other schools, Figgins had made a tidy profit). Staring at the small amount that had yet to be spent, Figgins wondered what the best approach was. He contemplated using it to buy more brass birds for his office (there was nothing like a good metaphor, or a good duck), but he decided that would was selfish. He thought briefly about using it to buy more books for the library, but that would involve buying more shelves, and the room wasn't big enough to hold anymore.

Figgins frowned as he listed the possibilities in his head. The sum wasn't huge, but he didn't want it to just go to waste. Maybe he could start collecting brass donkeys...

"Principal Figgins?" Will Schuester knocked on the door, causing Figgins to smile in advance.

"Come in William." He eased himself out of his chair as he held out a hand towards him. "Congratulations on Sue being a decent human being!"

A smile spread across Will's face as he shook Figgins' hand excitedly. "I just wanted to come and thank you sir. I don't know what's gotten into that woman." Both men shook their heads and shrugged their shoulders; it was impossible to understand Sue Sylvester. Will took a seat opposite Figgins (which normally meant he was being reprimanded for one thing or another), ready to talk about a little plan he was developing.

"So, what can I help you with Will? As long as you're not about to suggest keeping the auditorium open during summer for rehearsals, I'm happy to listen."

Will mentally cursed. Well, at least that idea had been put to rest.

"I was wondering about school regulations..." He sat forward in his chair as his hands wrung themselves together; he wasn't sure if it was worth the trouble. "Am I allowed to take the glee kids on a mini vacation?" Figgins' eyes widened in shock, causing Will to stutter slightly. "W-w-wait, I mean, look, I was thinking about like, paying myself or... something." He sighed into his hands. "Basically, if I had parents' permission and organised everything, would it be a possibility? I feel like the kids need rewarding for all the hard work they've done." Will looked up at Principal Figgins reluctantly, and was surprised to see a smile.

"Well, since we break up for summer today, you technically wouldn't need their permission, though if Mr Hummel threatens me because you've kidnapped his son then you're on your own Schue." Will chuckled at the mental image. "As far as payment goes..." Figgins scribbled something down on the budget paper in front of him before counting out money in front of Will. "We have a bit of money to spare, so as long as you keep this quiet, you can use this to fund some of the trip." He happily handed the cash over to a very thankful Spanish teacher.

"Wow, sir, this is amazing, thank you!" Will stood up quickly so that he could shake Figgins' hand, though since it seemed a little formal, he couldn't help but remember the principal's own advice; hugging it out was always the solution. Only slightly awkward, Will threw his arms around Figgins, who patted him on the back.

"I hope you have a good time William, and enjoy the rest of your summer."

Will could feel the wad of cash sitting in his pocket, and with a smirk of excitement, he nodded. "I'm sure we will."

**Glee!**

Kurt wasn't sure when he'd started loving Finn as brother, rather than an unrequited crush. It was possibly sometime after the 'faggy' incident, because apart from the fact that Finn wasn't gay, Kurt realised that he couldn't date someone who had that kind of attitude, regardless if he hadn't meant to offend him. It surprised him to know that he saw Finn as a proper sibling, (the whole relationship seemed to just sneak up on him) though he was surprised in a good way. He was sure Finn would make an awesome brother, which meant that when he was upset or confused, it was Kurt's duty to help, just like any other brother would.

Therefore, after Mr Schue's rendition, Kurt watched as Rachel Berry left the choir room in a hurry. While he thought that was strange enough, he found it even stranger that Finn hadn't followed after her, especially after all of the hand holding and sickeningly cute shoulder leaning. Despite the fact that Mercedes was already planning shopping sprees and spa treatments (two things that Kurt lived for), he couldn't keep his eyes off of Finn; the boy looked wounded, which only worsened when he realised that Rachel was no longer in the room.

"Sorry Mercedes, I need to take a rain check," he said, practically floating towards his almost-brother. "Finn, is everything okay?" It was a ridiculously redundant question, but it was only polite to ask.

Finn's face, which appeared dazed, seemed to crumple with Kurt's appearance. "No, I'm... Where did... God, what if she won't take me back?" His skin was incredibly pale, which made Kurt's heart ache.

"Don't worry, there's no possible way that she can say no to you." Finn looked a little more hopeful, to which Kurt gave a reassuring smile. "Come on, let's get working."


	2. Chapter 2

Artie found it hard to believe that he wasn't dreaming. It was a huge cliché, he didn't need reminding, but the past year had been so _freaking_ amazing that he was sure that he'd wake up and find it all to be a crazy, unbelievable dream. Okay, so New Directions hadn't won at Regionals, but he realised that it didn't matter in the long run, not really.

No, it was glee club itself that made Artie smile every morning. Before New Directions, Artie was a boy who woke up and wanted to cry as he remembered who he was and what his life was like. He was a smart, talented, depressed loser in a wheelchair, and he'd long ago told himself that he'd be living with his parents forever.

And then he'd had the courage to audition for glee. Sure, they'd sucked at first, but Artie could still remember the nervous, excited pounding of his heart that seemed to beat in time with Don't Stop Believin'. Who could have guessed that he'd make so many new friends, especially with jocks and Cheerios? Who'd have guessed that these same friends would come together as a group to raise money for his needs? Who'd have guessed that he would have his first kiss... and his first love? Therefore, despite the sadness at the time over their loss at Regionals, Artie was happier now than he'd ever been.

"Artie, are you there?" Tina waved in his face, wearing a bemused smile. "Did Puck's singing make you fall in love?"

He feigned a loud sigh. "I just wish he'd notice me, but I think he's into blondes."

Tina giggled as she started to push Artie towards the door. "Can you believe that we've got another year?"

Tina couldn't see, but Artie wore a smug smile as he nodded. "You know, I can. It feels like we live in a Disney fairytale land where all our dreams come true, and we get to slay the evil dragon with our swords of heart and talent."

"Oh yeah? Who's the dragon?"

Artie adjusted his glasses as he thought about it for a moment; a guilty grin meant that he had his answer. "Well, two evil dragons; Miss Sylvester and Jesse St James."

**Glee!**

Santana glanced at the clock on the choir room wall. God, was it the end of the day already? That meant that it was officially summer, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for it yet (she couldn't help but realise how much she'd miss glee).

"Santana?"

Santana forced a tiny smile at the sweet sound of Brittany's voice. She still had her head on the Latina girl's shoulder (probably copied off of Rachel and Finn), and their pinkies were interlinked as always. "Yeah Britt?" Santana waited patiently for a reply. She was usually a very impatient person, but when she was around Brittany, she loosened up a little... okay, maybe a lot.

"Can we go and feed some ducks later? I brought a lot of bread with me and I forgot to bring the butter."

Santana smirked as she squeezed the blonde's hand in her own, pulling her up gently as they began to leave. "Of course we can Brittany, of course we can."

**Glee!**

Rachel watched Miss Pillsbury hesitantly, feeling a hot blush of colour spread across her cheeks. She shouldn't have felt so embarrassed about her question, but as she thought of the implications (what if she told Mr Schue?), she felt dirty, as if she'd asked some question about sex (or lack thereof).

"Well... uh, you know that school has officially finished for today Rachel?"

Rachel felt tears prick at the back of her eyes. God, even Miss Pillsbury thought that her question was tasteless. "Sorry, it doesn't matter actually." Rachel practically bounced out of her seat as she shot towards the door.

Emma instantly felt guilty. She was the school guidance counsellor for goodness sake! Her own relationship troubles had nothing to do with her work, and she could tell from the shimmer in Rachel's eyes that she needed help; Emma would be the one to give her that help, even if they had to stay all night.

**Glee!**

Quinn had a destination in mind as she strode down the corridor, feeling the freedom of summer all around her. She was looking forward to a vacation so much that it hurt (though that was probably due to the ridiculously tight pants she'd forced herself into; it was all about self confidence). It was odd, walking around on her own. It wasn't that she needed someone to escort her wherever she went or anything, but even when the rest of the school had disappeared for the day, she'd had her baby to keep her company, kicking now and again to remind her to stay strong. She certainly didn't miss the huge bump and the accompanying stretch marks (those were still an everyday burden), but she did miss that added security of having a 'friend'.

Quinn stopped off at her locker. After checking that no one was watching, she slowly pulled the door forward, as if afraid that something was going to jump out at her. Her locker was empty (she'd had the sense to clean it out early), apart from a couple of photos and notes that were stuck inside the door. Hidden behind a picture of a particularly cute kitten, Quinn hesitantly removed a small photograph that made her smile for a second. That was baby Beth, just two hours old, taken in a rare moment of privacy, capturing the girl's beautiful eyes.

With that, Quinn's moment of weakness was over. She folded the photo up and slipped it into the pocket of her pants because had bigger things to deal with now.

**Glee!**

Will Schuester left Principal Figgins' office with a huge smile on his face. He hadn't put too much hope into being allowed to organise a vacation, but to be given money to help fund it... Well, needless to say, Will was psyched. He'd had a few ideas of where he could take the kids (and now he certainly had enough to pay for accommodation), but what he needed was Emma's guidance. He hadn't told Figgins, but he planned to invite Emma along (for the kids' sake of course) since he figured it would be the perfect time to seduce her if she still wasn't sure about him (and if they ended up going to a beach, then maybe she'd be forced to wear a bikini...).

_Come on Will, snap out of it. You don't even know if the kids will go yet._

As he made his way to Emma's office, Will realised that the kids might not be so willing after all. He was sure that Rachel would agree straight away, but what about people like Santana? A glee vacation could be pushing it, especially if relationships were still raw...

He arrived at his destination, though was exasperated to find that Emma was occupied with someone. Wait, was that Rachel?

"Mr Schue, are you waiting to talk to Miss Pillsbury too?"

Will turned his attention to the voice which seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Er, no Quinn, I was just going to say hi, that's all." For the first time since her baby's birth, Will really took the time to look at Quinn. It was amazing to see such a transformation in such a small amount of time. He remembered all too clearly the head cheerleader who had auditioned with a lot of talent, yet who had no real soul. Now, although she looked the same, Quinn was a different girl. She'd learnt from her mistakes, and Will could safely say that he liked the new Quinn a hell of a lot more than the old one.

"Oh, okay. Is Rachel alright in there? Do you think she'd mind if I went in too? It's just that my mom is supposed to be picking me up soon..."

Will wasn't sure if anything had changed between the two of them, but Quinn said the word 'mom' in such a strained way; obviously it would take a while until they were back to some sort of normality.

"Well, it could be confidential or something... One second, I'll ask for you." Will actually knew that students weren't supposed to be disturbed, but he couldn't pass up on the opportunity to talk to Emma, even if it was just a fleeting breath. He knocked on the glass door quietly, causing Rachel to jump and Emma to blush furiously. Rachel looked over her shoulder at the intrusion, and smiled faintly at Quinn.

"What is it Will? Can't you see I'm with a student?" Emma was at the door instantly, blocking his entrance with a firm grip.

Will couldn't help but smirk at how flustered she seemed to be. "I know Emma, I'm sorry, but Quinn was wondering how long you'll be with Rachel, since she has to leave soon."

Rachel strained her ears to try and listen to what Mr Schue was saying. Something about Quinn having to leave... She gulped with nerves, but decided to bite the bullet.

"Quinn can come in if she wants. I mean, it's not like it's a problem with my body or anything..." Rachel blushed as soon as she'd said that, since Mr Schue cleared his throat and looked away awkwardly.

"I'll speak to you later Emma," he promised before leaving Quinn to nervously make her way inside the office.

"Thank you Rachel," she whispered as she took a seat beside her once arch-enemy, who just smiled in a way that said 'you're welcome'.

"Before we carry on Rachel, do you mind if Quinn goes first? I think yours might take a while to sort out."

Rachel nodded in understanding. "That's fine by me." She didn't want to admit it, but babbling on about her feelings for Finn was embarrassing enough, but to be doing it in front of his ex...

"Erm, okay..." Quinn took a deep breath, and whilst keeping her eyes closed, decided to spew all of her secrets. "When I was at the hospital with Puck, he admitted that he loved me, and I don't know if I'm ready to say it back. I mean, I've always had some kind of feelings for him, even when I was going out with Finn." She glanced at Rachel with a sad smile on her face. "It used to kill me when he was with other girls, but I had to pretend that it didn't bother me because, let's face it, I wasn't exactly the ideal girlfriend." She looked towards Miss Pillsbury for some assistance because she wasn't sure if any of this was really relevant (this last time they'd talked was when she was having an identity crisis that resulted in wearing sunglasses while in class).

"Keep going Quinn, I'm listening."

Quinn took another breath as she diverted her gaze to the floor, and her heart flew into her throat when she felt Rachel place her hand across hers. She looked up at the brunette, who smiled encouragingly before squeezing Quinn's fingers, and surprisingly, it gave her more confidence.

"We tried to make it work now and again, but Puck would _always_ run off to some girl or another. Every time that happened, I swore to myself that I wouldn't give him another chance, but..." She bit her lip whilst looking at the ceiling. It was easier to talk than she thought, but she wasn't sure if she'd like Miss Pillsbury's upcoming advice. "But I really care for him. Now that I'm not pregnant, I hope he'll stay faithful to me, but what if he doesn't? With everything that's going on, I don't know if I can console myself if he cheats on me."

Emma nodded, though she didn't say anything; she didn't need to. She understood perfectly what Quinn was going through, and she also knew what Quinn was going to ask before it escaped her lips.

"How do you know when you're in love?"

Rachel felt her jaw drop slightly, though she quickly regained her composure. She hadn't expected _Quinn Fabray_ of all people to ask that question! Jeez, this was the girl that had dated Finn for nearly six months (Rachel had lasted less than a week) and who had Noah Puckerman constantly coming back for more (Rachel had lasted less than a week). If she didn't know what love was, then how could Rachel? Sure, she'd assumed that she'd loved Jesse at the time, but looking back, she realised she was in love with the _idea_ of being in love. She liked to think 'Wow, I'm in love with the hot, talented lead singer of Vocal Adrenaline', but it had never really felt right, all things considered.

"Wow, that's quite a... quite a coincidence." Rachel returned her attention to Miss Pillsbury, though she hadn't removed her hand from Quinn's; she wasn't sure what had possessed her to touch the girl in the first place, but knowing she was suffering with the same problem, Rachel was more than happy to keep close contact with her.

"How do you mean?" Quinn looked at Rachel, a frown appearing on her face.

"That's why I'm here too... I asked exactly the same thing." Rachel's voice was uncharacteristically quiet, but having heard Quinn's 'confession', she wasn't so embarrassed anymore. In fact, she was ready to talk about her own problem.

"If you want to talk about it Rachel, feel free."

Rachel nodded, trying to compose herself. What could she say exactly? Would it be weird for Quinn having to listen to her ramble on about Finn? It was different for her and Puck because they'd never been that serious.

"Before Finn and I opened at Regionals with Faithfully, I told him to break a leg. He told me that he loved me." Rachel looked at Quinn, expecting to see a murderous snarl of anger on her face, but all she got was a heartfelt smile, which made her instantly smile back; she was feeling better already. "Before Regionals, I'd kissed him, but only because I wasn't sure what else to say... No, that's not true." She pulled her hand away from Quinn's so that she could run it through her hair, trying to speak eloquently, while at the same time, trying to stop herself from bursting into tears.

"Rachel, you don't need to upset yourself. We're in no rush."

Rachel wanted to thank Miss Pillsbury for her reassurance, but she had to get everything out first. She could deal with being emotional later.

"He's put me through hell, but even now, I care for him so, so much. We've both grown up over the last year, and I feel like I can deal with all the dramas of being in a proper relationship, without smothering him. I just..." She turned her attention to Quinn, because she knew hard it was to deal with. "How do I know if that's love?" Synchronised, both girls turned to Emma, waiting for the definitive definition; it was a shame that she had no idea what it was either.

**Glee!**

Mercedes had been sat in a room full of her friends one minute, listening to Mr Schue nail his song, then talking to Kurt about plans for the summer the next. So, when the hell had everyone disappeared? She hadn't realised that Rachel and Quinn had vanished to who-knows-where (surely not together?), and she didn't remember Kurt abandoning her mid-sentence. Now, awkwardly, she was sat in the choir room with Mike, Matt and Puck, who seemed to be in the same predicament as her. It wasn't that she didn't like the guys, but she was much happier in the company of Kurt, Tina and Artie; she just never really had the time for Mike or Matt.

"Well, since this rehearsal is apparently over, I'm getting the hell out of here. See you later geeks."

Okay, so now it was just Mercedes, Mike and Matt. Trying to be polite, she started talking about the first thing that came to mind. "So, you guys got much planned for the summer?"

Mike looked at Matt and shrugged, while Matt pulled a face. "Not really."

Mercedes nodded awkwardly. Okay, so she _really_ needed to hang with them more. Still, feeling uncomfortable was no excuse for being rude (her mom would be so proud of her determination), and Mercedes was definitely determined to be best friends with the quietest kids in glee; that was her new goal for the summer.

**A/N: **Okay, so there are a few things I need to say.

First of all, my word, thank you so much for the amazing feedback on my first chapter! I'm really happy so many of you guys enjoyed it! For those who reviewed anonymously, I'll simply say thank you on here (I try to reply to every review I get, so here's a shoutout for you!)

Secondly, this chapter may seem a bit jumpy, but until all the characters have some kind of storyline, each chapter will focus on various characters (though in the future, some will be dedicated to just one or two people).

Thirdly, this is where you amazing people come in. I haven't got any plans set in stone for the next few chapters, which means that if you'd like to see more of Matt and less of Rachel, please, let me know! If there are certain characters that you'd like to see more of, simply tell me in a review and I'll try to work with your suggestions.

Again, thank you so, so much to everyone who has added it to their alerts/favourites, and to those who have taken the time to review. Thank you :)


	3. Chapter 3

Finn regretted trusting Kurt. In his moment of weakness in the choir room, he'd let spill that he was worried about Rachel. If he'd told anyone else, they would have offered a sympathetic smile and a pat on the back, but of course, this was Kurt Hummel, and right now, he was pulling Finn through one of many corridors... by his hand. He didn't have anything against that exactly, but since their relationship was still a little rocky, Finn didn't want to yell at him for inappropriate contact. Therefore, he tried to ignore the fact that Kurt's hand was just as soft as Rachel's, and that he had a content smile on his face (please oh _please_ let it be a brotherly smile).

"So, we need to go to the mall to shower her in appropriate gifts," Kurt began, tugging on Finn's arm the best he could (for such a small kid he had a lot of strength).

"But... But I haven't even said bye to her! Or Mr Schue for that matter..."

Kurt rolled his eyes as he power walked towards the school doors. "Finn, I mean this in the nicest possible way." He stopped for a moment to look at the tall, awkward boy who was looking everywhere but at Kurt. "You're an idiot sometimes, you know that?"

Finn's eyes darted at the ceiling in annoyance, and though his jaw clenched angrily, he didn't bother to disagree. If it had been Puck who had insulted him, he would have gladly grabbed the guy in a headlock before he took his comment back. As much as he wanted to do the same to Kurt (man he wanted to mess up his hair!), he was beginning to understand his friend more, and he knew that he wouldn't appreciate rough housing.

"Your point being?" he finally mumbled, still not fully meeting Kurt's gaze.

"You have a cell phone, right? Through the magic of calling and texting, you can tell her that you'll see her later." He elongated his words to get the 'you're dumb' message through, but Finn knew that he wasn't being purposefully mean; this was just who Kurt was.

"Fine, whatever. But if we're gonna buy her gifts and stuff, I'm going to be in control." Kurt opened his mouth to object but Finn shook him off. "You can help but I get the final say. Besides, you might forget to tell me that Rachel doesn't like slutty outfits and scary hair." In the context it made no sense, but Finn could tell that Kurt understood, because an unusual blush appeared on his cheeks. "You probably thought I'd forgotten about that didn't you?" Finn gave a small, charming smile that put guilty Kurt at ease. "Come on then, to the mall it is."

**Glee!**

Finn and Kurt spent two painful hours at the mall. Finn soon found out that Kurt could shop till he collapsed with exhaustion, and Kurt soon found out that Finn became bored of browsing after just ten minutes.

"Well, how about some new clothes? God knows that she needs something stylish for once in her life."

Finn wanted to punch Kurt, hard, but again, he stopped himself from reacting. If he punched Puck, he would punch him back, and they would both handle it like men (even if Finn wanted to cry like a girl), but he had a feeling that Kurt would bruise easily. "I like Rachel's clothes. They're unique and different and stuff, and I especially like the short skirts that she wears and the-" Finn trailed off at the incredulous look that Kurt was giving him.

"Next shop it is."

Kurt's next suggestion was flowers, and though he insisted that vegans liked roses, Finn was a little apprehensive since the thorns looked really sharp (all he needed was to get stabbed by flowers while making out with Rachel). Besides, as soon as he saw how much a bunch of stupid plants cost, he was very quick to pull Kurt away by his collar (whilst apparently creasing the delicate fabric of his shirt).

Finn suggested buying action figures after spending fifteen minutes playing with a Buzz Lightyear toy, but since they were kicked out for disrupting the peace (Finn had refused to surrender Buzz to a seven year old kid), it looked like that was out of the question. Without a real idea in mind, Finn and Kurt were resigned to browsing anywhere and everywhere.

Surprisingly, it was in the most expensive jewellery store that Finn had an epiphany. Disturbing Kurt from his daydream (he was imagining himself wearing a tiara worth several thousand dollars), Finn dragged Kurt into one final shop, determined to buy the perfect gift.

**Glee!**

Emma cringed inwardly at her current predicament. Rachel and Quinn were waiting for some kind of advice or knowledge, and she had none. In fact, she'd been hoping that they'd have the answer for her. Thinking back to the various courses she'd had to attend for her job, Emma improvised by pulling out three sheets of paper and three pens.

"I wish it was that simple girls, but how about this to er... to help you answer your question." She handed the pens and paper over slowly, stalling for time to come up with something... Then it hit her as she thought about what she'd been preoccupied with all day. "Okay, what I want you to do is write a list of all the things that you like about your potential boyfriends." As a way of supporting them, Emma decided to be brave and join in the activity. "For example, the person I'm seeing has really nice teeth." This she scribbled down on her paper. "It doesn't matter if it's insignificant or embarrassing. This is for your own eyes only." Rachel nodded confidently while Quinn bit her lip before beginning hesitantly. Whilst they were occupied, Emma decided to write two separate lists, one labelled dentist and the other labelled slut.

Rachel looked down at her own list with a tiny smile. It had been much easier than she'd imagined listing Finn's good qualities, especially since it turned out that he had many.

_The things I like about Finn Hudson by Rachel Berry_

_His smile – when he does that ridiculously cute smile without showing his teeth, it's always one sided and a little shy. When he's extremely happy, he opens his mouth and laughs while he's smiling, and it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen._

_His height – even though he's so much taller than me, I love his height since it makes me feel safe and protected. It also makes him seem clumsier, which I find extremely endearing._

_His intelligence – he isn't the smartest person I know, but I have enough brains to compensate for that. Besides, Finn's occasional lack of knowledge is very sweet, and I'm more than happy to teach him things he didn't already know (I especially love expanding his vocabulary)._

_His voice – though he doesn't have the same level of training that I've received over the years, his voice is the most amazing thing I've ever heard. It's so unique and heartfelt and I wish Mr Schuester would give him more solos._

Rachel wrote many more points down, writing a little explanation next to them all. She knew that it wasn't necessary, but by doing so, she felt that it made her reasoning stronger, and it just reminded her how much she treasured the little things about him.

Finally, she was sure she had gotten everything, until she realised she'd missed out the most important one. Oddly, it seemed fitting to list it last, as if she was saving the best till the end.

_His heart – Finn's heart is the best thing about him, because he's willing to put it into everything he does, whether it's in the way he treats his friends or the songs that he sings. His heart is incredible, and it seems unbelievable that he'd willingly give it to me._

Rachel smiled at her list. It was corny and it was sappy, but it reflected everything she loved about Finn. Then it dawned on her. These were the things she loved about Finn; loved. That meant that if she loved everything about him, she loved him as a person too, right? Had this exercise actually worked? She glanced over at Quinn, who had a couple of words dotted around her page. Part of Rachel wanted to show the blonde her own list, but since it was incredibly personal, she decided against it, and instead decided to re-read her list until the other girl was done.

Quinn found it incredibly hard. She tried to think of Puck's good qualities, things that made him sweet and caring, but her mind continued to draw a blank. All she could think of was the negative things about him, and that was extremely counterproductive. Still, with no other ideas, Quinn began to randomly list the annoying things about Noah Puckerman.

_Flirting with other girls_

_Using people for their popularity_

_His mohawk (whenever it grows back)_

_His constant need for sex_

_His obsession with videogames_

_His habit of throwing nerds in the dumpster_

After writing a few more words, Quinn looked at the list in front of her. Puck was no Prince Charming. In fact, he was more like the villain than the prince. Still, Quinn was no princess either; she'd sacrificed that idea when she'd cheated on Prince Finn and had gotten pregnant with the jester. Biting her lip again, Quinn realised that maybe this was why she was so right for Puck. Neither of them were angels, but together, they were stupidly happy, despite the fact that they both had many negative aspects to their personalities. Quinn looked to Rachel, who seemed to have written an essay on Finn. She knew that if the tables were turned and she was still going out with Finn, she'd be able to list many things too. Finn was a good guy, but for Quinn, good wasn't _good_ enough anymore. She wasn't absolutely sure that it was love with Puck, but she did realise that she wasn't in any rush to find out. She was happy just dating him (if he still wanted her) until she found out.

"Oh, you're both done? That's great." Emma folded her own piece of paper up, and swiftly hid it in her top drawer. She was nowhere near done, but she could save that for later. "So, did that help at all? Rachel?"

Rachel smiled warmly at Miss Pillsbury."It did. I realise that I love Finn." She didn't need to say anymore, because the tone of her voice told everyone just how much she cared for him.

Emma placed a hand over her heart and sighed. "And you Quinn?"

Quinn ignored Rachel's curious stare, instead watching the guidance counsellor. "I don't know if it's love, but I know that I want to give it a go with Puck. I think we're more alike than I'd care to admit."

Emma nodded while smiling. "That's a good attitude to have Quinn. It's not as if anyone is waiting for confirmation of your feelings for him. Don't force yourself into saying that you love him, and you never know, you may just realise that you do."

Quinn nodded as she began to stand up. She hadn't realised that almost two hours had passed in the office; had they been writing for so long? She knew how angry her mother would be, but that couldn't be helped. "Thank you Miss Pillsbury, you really helped put my mind at ease."

Rachel followed suit as she pushed the chair away from the desk. "Yes, thanks Miss P. I can't wait to go and talk to Finn. Hope you have a lovely summer!"

The two girls left Emma's office, leaving her to reflect on what had just happened. It was quite heartbreaking, knowing that a teenage girl was surer of her romantic feelings than she was. Carl was perfect in every sense, and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that every woman who met him would want to marry him. But in one aspect, he was severely flawed; he wasn't Will Schuester, and yet Will wasn't perfect because he'd already broken Emma's heart. She knew it was going to be a tough summer.

**Glee!**

As Quinn left Miss Pillsbury's office, she immediately checked her phone; she had ten missed calls, three from Puck and seven from her mom.

"Is everything okay Quinn?"

The blonde hadn't realised that Rachel was walking beside her. She nodded reluctantly. "My mom was supposed to pick me up a while ago, and she left a text saying that she's out and can't come to get me." Before Rachel offered her a ride, Quinn's cell start buzzing; it was Puck.

"I'll see you around Quinn," Rachel mouthed as she hurried towards the car park; Quinn was thankful for the privacy.

"Hey babe, where the hell are you? I've called about fifteen times in the last hour."

Quinn rolled her eyes at Puck, though a smirk tugged at her lips. "Three times actually Puck, and I'm still at school. I had to go and see Miss Pillsbury."

She heard Puck groan to himself. "Oh God, you're not pregnant again are you? Because I swear, if you've been sleeping around then-"

"Puck, shut the hell up. Can you come and pick me up?" She knew it was unreasonable for her to ask him for a ride, but he was her only option.

"Sure babe, let me just say get rid of the Cheerio that's in my bedroom." Quinn shook her head as she laughed to herself. Once upon a time, comments like that would have put her off him, but right now, all she wanted to do was be with Puck; was it silly to be having butterflies right now?

**Glee!**

"So, when are you going to give her it?"

Finn was driving slowly home, listening to the steady melodies of Journey. He looked at Kurt for a second before returning his attention to the road. "I dunno, tonight I think. It depends what she's doing. I'll drop you off then go round to hers." Man, he was feeling so nervous! In hindsight, he wasn't sure that his gift was the best thing to give Rachel, but it was a little late for regrets now. "Actually, would you mind giving her a call to see if she's doing anything?"

Kurt scowled slightly but didn't say no. He pulled his cell from his pocket, scrolled through his tiny list of contacts, and pressed call when Rachel's number came up. "Rachel? It's Kurt. What are you doing right now?" Finn squeezed his steering wheel as he listened to Kurt on the phone, causing his knuckles to turn white. "Haven't you seen that enough times? Turn it off right now because my boy Finn is coming to pay you a visit." Finn couldn't make out what Rachel was saying, but he could tell that she was babbling on about something. Kurt pressed his phone to his chest as he looked at Finn for a moment. "She wants to know how long you'll be."

"About fifteen minutes?"

Kurt's jaw dropped; he looked like someone had told him that his wardrobe was on fire. "Fifteen minutes? Finn, you are such a neanderthal! You need to make yourself look slightly more presentable, and you should take the time to plan what you're going to say and-" Kurt pulled a face as he heard Rachel yelling from his phone. "What do you want princess? Yes, but... Okay, whatever, I give up on you two. He can come round incredibly scruffy and smelly for all I care. He'll be at yours in ten." He slammed the phone shut, radiating annoyance from his body. "You two are a mess, you know that?"

Finn smiled as he ruffled Kurt's hair. "And that's why you love us."

**Glee!**

Rachel was very close to freaking out. As soon as she'd left school, she'd meant to call Finn to tell him how much she cared, but every time she tried, she chickened out. Besides, she figured that this was something she had to tell him in a certain way, and she wasn't sure that blurting it out over the phone was the best way to let him know.

But now he was coming round to see her, and all of a sudden, Rachel wasn't sure she could do it after all. The idea of being so open and honest with a boy that could melt her body by smiling at her... How could she even do this? She thought about dressing up in her finest clothes, but she remembered all too clearly how that had gone last time ("I'm gonna say this as nice as I can, but you look like a sad clown hooker"). No, she wouldn't bother changing, and she wouldn't bother with romantic music in the background either. She loved Finn (gosh it felt so good to admit that) not because of gimmicks and false pretences; he was just him.

Before she knew it, a certain person was knocking on her front door, and she hadn't even planned what she going to say to him. Her dads were out (they'd been invited out for a meal with some clients), so it was left to Rachel to let him in. She could see, through the glass of the door, that he was standing patiently as he waited for her, and though she had no idea what she was going to do, she realised that it didn't matter. She opened the door, watching as Finn's face turned into a huge smile.

"Hey Rach," he whispered. He didn't reach forward to kiss her, or even hug her, but she knew that was her own doing. She hadn't exactly been encouraging him since Regionals, and he probably thought that she wasn't ready (when it was the complete opposite).

"Hey Finn, come on in." She held the door open, smiling as he was forced to duck his head as he entered. He lingered near the bottom of the stairs a little awkwardly, waiting for her to invite him up; he knew where her bedroom was, but that would be really presumptuous, and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. Luckily for him, a tiny hand weaved into his, and before he knew it, he was being led upstairs by a very shaky Rachel. He tried not to stare at her butt as she pulled him towards her room, but surprisingly, he was more interested in her legs, which were shaking like a leaf. Was she sick? Maybe she was nervous, but he wasn't sure why she would be.

Once they had reached her room, Rachel made her way towards her wardrobe, trying to avoid looking directly at the handsome boy in her presence.

"What happened to you earlier?" Finn decided to ask. "One minute you were in the choir room, and the next you'd evaporated."

Rachel decided to look at him, and blushed at the intensity of his gaze, which did strange things to Finn's stomach. "I had to have a little chat with Miss Pillsbury." She didn't elaborate, and Finn didn't ask for more details; he recognised the embarrassment in her eyes (her beautiful, deep brown eyes that he could get lost in forever...). Rachel cleared her throat and giggled as Finn's mouth snapped shut (God, had he been drooling or something?) "So, is there any reason for this lovely, awkward visit?"

"Actually, there is, and I'm just trying to pluck up the courage to go through with something." Finn gave a lopsided smile (Rachel remembered her list and felt her heart flutter) as he removed a small, black box from his pocket. To Rachel it looked like a jewellery box, possibly big enough to hold a ring of some sort. Oh God oh God oh God...

"Finn..." There was apprehension in her voice, but not the bad kind (or at least, that's what Finn assured himself). With a smile that was almost as big as his head, Finn took a few steps towards Rachel before bending down on one knee, the box held out in front of him.

"Since the day we first sung together, I've experienced so many feelings that I thought I was turning into a girl." Rachel giggled, which made Finn feel a little more confident. "Even though our relationship hasn't exactly been smooth sailing, I've always loved you. It started out as, like, a friend kind of love, but since that first song, it's been developing into something else." Considering he hadn't rehearsed his wimpy speech, it was going pretty well. "I've hurt you so many times Rachel, and looking back, I've realised what a jerk I've been. I'd do _anything _to make you forgive me for hurting you, because I love you." He fumbled with the box in his hand, his heart racing a mile a minute. "Rachel Berry, will you be my girlfriend?" Rachel gazed down as Finn opened the box. Sat on a little velvet cushion was a gummy ring. "I had Kurt help me choose it out, and it's totally suitable for vegans and stuff." His hand was shaking madly now, and he wasn't sure how longer he could balance on his knee without falling flat on his face. He looked up at Rachel, who had tears in her eyes. Oh God, he wasn't sure he could handle rejection right now.

"Of course I will." The tension in Finn's heart disappeared, and was replaced by a frantic thumping that caused him to laugh loudly, echoing around the room. He removed the ring from the box and slid it onto Rachel's wedding finger. When he'd told Kurt what he was planning to do, his almost-brother had told him that it was immature and stupid; he couldn't wait to prove him wrong.

"Thank God," he breathed as he stood up to embrace Rachel in a hug. His arms were about to engulf her tiny frame, but before he could, she pushed him away, holding his face carefully in her hands.

"Wait Finn, there's something I need to tell you... and show you." She took a deep breath to calm herself down; now was the perfect time to tell him. "I love you. I've loved you since the first day we met, but now I'm sure that you're not going to freak out and leave me, I thought it was time I said it back." Cue Finn's trademark smile, which only reassured Rachel further that she loved him more than anything.

"You said there's something you want to show me?"

She could tell that he wasn't really interested in anything but kissing her, but Rachel really wanted him to see something first. She hurried to her school bag, and nervously, produced 'The things I like about Finn Hudson by Rachel Berry'.

"Please, please don't laugh," she pleaded as she handed him the sheet of paper. For a moment, a wave of confusion spread across his face, but it was instantly replaced with a flush of colour. Rachel couldn't help but sigh at the sight; Finn was being bashful!

"Rach..." He looked down at the list with incredulity (a word he'd picked up from Rachel). "You idolise me too much."

"No I don't Finn. That is you to a T, and that is why I love you." Finn couldn't argue with that, since his mouth was suddenly occupied by a beautiful little girl called Rachel Berry.


	4. Chapter 4

Puck picked Quinn up from school in his truck, happy to come to her rescue. He wondered why she'd been to see Miss Pillsbury (he'd been one or twice because she was a hot piece of ass and women liked to coddle him if he turned on the waterworks). If she wasn't pregnant, maybe she was dying? Puck glanced over at Quinn, who had been unusually quiet. She didn't look ill, but maybe it was some kind of internal growth (or something cool like the kick-ass monsters in the Alien films).

"Quinn, are you dying? Cause if you are, I can make sure that your final days are fulfilled, if you know what I'm saying."

She looked at him with an expression of disbelief on her face, only to be greeted with a suggestive wiggle of Puck's eyebrows. "No, I'm not dying."

She muttered something inaudible under her breath, which caused Puck to frown in thought. "Are you like, gay or bisexual?" He took her glare as a no. "Is your mom secretly a spy, and you're worried for her safety? Oh, wait, maybe you're the spy, and Miss Pillsbury is like, your human target or something?"

Quinn resisted the urge to smack him since he was still driving, though she knew that he wouldn't stop bugging her till she told him what was up.

"Yes, I'm a spy. I was paid to kill Miss P, but I couldn't go through with it."

Puck pulled up at the side of the road, his jaw slack with surprise and amazement. "No frickin' way!"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm not a spy! Noah, you're a moron sometimes, you know that?"

Puck scowled, partly because his dream was to date a spy, and partly because Quinn had just used his first name.

"Well what is it then Quinn? You seekin' counselling 'cause you're in love with Mr Schue?"

Quinn wanted to tell him to drop it, because what else could she say? 'Oh, I went to see if I love you, and it turns out that I don't. Never mind!' But then she stopped to think about it, despite the fact that Puck was glaring at her. Maybe she could open up to him; if she wanted it to work between the two of them then she had to be honest... didn't she?

"Actually, I went to talk to her about us."

Puck's glare vanished, and was replaced with a frown of concern. "About... what do you mean 'us'?"

She looked out of the truck window, watching a woman walking her dog. "With the... baby and everything..." She knew that Puck had internally cringed, because she had too. It was still raw for both of them, and for that reason alone, she continued to talk. "I've been really confused, not just about you, but about everything. I don't know if I can stay at my mom's, I don't know if I'll ever stop missing B-Beth..." She paused to take a deep breath, thankful that Puck didn't interrupt. "And I didn't know how I felt about you." Quinn finally returned her gaze to Puck. He didn't look angry, or hurt, or confused... he just looked understanding.

"I didn't mean to frighten you at the hospital," he began, but Quinn silenced him by placing a warm finger on his lips.

"You didn't frighten me at all, and after talking it out with Miss Pillsbury, I know how I actually feel." She drew her finger away from his mouth, eager to hold his hand, but she resisted. "We're never going to be perfect, are we?"

Puck cupped Quinn's face in his hands, staring intently into her eyes. "Quinn." He felt a tiny rush of adrenaline course through his body as she bit her lip in such a Quinn-like fashion (it took all he had not to bite it himself). "If you want to give us a go again then I'd treat you like a princess." She smiled slightly at that, but said nothing. "If you don't, I'll just sex you up from a distance."

Quinn let out a nervous laugh. "Trust you to ruin the moment with your brilliant way with words." Puck winked as he smirked, which made Quinn feel dizzy. "I want to give us a go if you do," she admitted, which made Puck laugh with relief.

"Of course I do." Her face still in his hands, Puck leant across the gear stick to engulf Quinn in a much deserved embrace.

**Glee!**

Although all of the students (and most of the staff) had left school for the summer, Emma was still sitting at her desk, trying her hardest to follow her own advice. The whole list thing had been an honest fluke, but it had seemed to work for Rachel and Quinn. Therefore, however hard it was going to be, Emma was determined to finish her own list.

An hour after the girls had left, Emma was still working on her project. If Will hadn't kissed her before declaring his love for her, she would have been happy just listing Carl's good qualities. She didn't love him (they hadn't been dating long), but she was content with the way things were progressing. She could imagine herself spending the rest of her life with this man, because he cared for her immensely, OCDs and all.

And still, despite the fact that Carl had been so darn nice to her, Emma couldn't help but think about Will. He'd been lousy, but that was the first time, since the day she'd met, that he'd been less than perfect.

_"Hi, my name is Will Schuester and I teach Spanish. You must be Emma, right?" _

_His casual, mouth watering smile had her at hello. She fluttered her eyelashes (it was so unlike her) as she smiled back just as nicely._

_"Hi, yes, I'm Emma, the new guidance counsellor. It's nice to meet you Will." She wasn't sure what to do next, so she simply continued to smile. She tried to ignore the fact that a rather chubby, unhygienic man was staring at her breasts from where he was sitting, and she definitely tried to ignore that he had tomato ketchup all down his shirt, which he carelessly wiped away with his hand._

_"It's nice to meet you too. I'm sure you'll fit in soon enough. The teachers here are all really supportive and friendly, so you'll make many friends in no time." _

_Emma tried not to stare at the dimple in Will's chin (while she attempted to resist the urge to run her finger along it)._

_"Most of them seem very nice, but one woman was a little hostile and rather rude. I think her name was Susan?" _

_She watched, intrigued, as Will half rolled his eyes. "That's Sue Sylvester. She's the coach of the Cheerios. I'm afraid she's the one exception to the welcoming rule." Emma nodded dumbly, her gaze now focused on Will's curly, well conditioned hair. She wondered what it'd feel like to twirl her fingers in it while he whispered romantic gestures in Spanish..._

_"Will, Figgins wants a word." _

_A voice behind Emma brought her back to reality as Will nodded at the news. "Sorry about this. I promise we can get to know each other some other time. It was nice meeting you Emma." He held out his left hand, waiting for Emma to shake to their new found friendship. She contemplated rejecting his offer (the knowledge of germs never left her thoughts), but for the first time in a while, she felt like good things were going to happen to her. She reached out to take his surprisingly soft hand, and as she wrapped her fingers around his, she noticed the glaring warning for her delicate heart; he was wearing a wedding ring._

_"Sure, that sounds great. See you around Will." As the new object of her pointless affection disappeared, Emma glanced around the teachers' lounge for a seat (her dinner was prepared perfectly in her bag). The chubby man who hadn't stopped staring stood up, offering the seat beside him._

_"Hi Emma, I heard that you were starting today. My name's Ken. Do you like monster trucks?"_

Emma broke out of her memory-come-daydream. Since their first handshake, Emma had been obsessed with Will. She would plan to bump into him every day, she would save him a seat at lunch, she would send him anonymous Valentine's cards, and she even had photos of him at her apartment, which she liked to look at before going to sleep. Those had been the days when Will was a saint; he hadn't done anything wrong, apart from marry the wrong girl. She had seen how special he was, and despite the fact that he had been married, Emma was sure that she was in love with him.

Their brief period of being a couple had been difficult but blissful all at the same time. She had always dreamed that Will would look at her with the same adoration that she bestowed to him, and in a sense, he did. She knew, once the divorce was finalised, that everything would fall into place, and that he would whisper that he loved her every single time he held her close.

Emma looked down at her almost blank piece of paper and picked up her pen. Carefully and methodically, she began to write the bad things about Will, which spilled onto the page like hot, angry tears. When she was sure that she'd exhausted her thoughts, she tried to write some positive things about Carl. She stuck with the most obvious (handsome, clean, polite), but she couldn't summon up the same fire that had been present in Will's column. The truth was that she didn't know Carl at all, and therefore, couldn't talk about his cute quirks (Will danced when he used the photocopier), or his taste in music (Will seemed to be a fan of pretty much everything), or his dreams and ambitions (Will wanted to get his glee kids to Nationals). That didn't make Will perfect, not by a long shot; it only meant that Emma needed to spend more time with Carl.

"Emma, are you busy?"

Emma stared blankly at Will, who had appeared out of nowhere. She shook her head whilst folding up her list. "No, it can wait." She would have usually invited him to sit down opposite her, but Emma had given up on trying to please him in every little way. Therefore, Will lingered awkwardly by the door, his hands stuffed into his pockets.

"Was everything okay with Rachel and Quinn?"

Emma gave a curt nod. "I can't say anymore than yes. It's student teacher confidentiality." She wasn't sure why she was telling him that, or why her voice had taken on the feel of poison.

"That's alright, so long as everything was okay."

She nodded again, but didn't bother to elaborate. Gosh, it was so wrong to be this hard on him, but Emma knew that she had to be strong about it. Will was the kind of guy that could take heartache on the chin (Emma stopped herself daydreaming about his beautiful chin), whereas she was the kind of girl that never truly recovered.

"Is that all you wanted Will?" she asked coldly. She could see that he flinched at the uncharacteristic malice of her words, but she didn't apologise (before the slut incident, she would have said sorry almost instantly).

Will sighed, closed the door behind him, then sat down on the chair in front of her, though he didn't exactly look comfortable. "Actually, no. I have a proposition for you."

Emma's cheeks flushed with emotion (which emotion she wasn't exactly sure). "No Will, please don't do this-"

"Emma, you don't even know what I'm going to say! At least hear me out?"

She didn't dare look in his eyes in case she agreed to something she'd regret later, so Emma stared at Will's eyebrows, though even they seemed to be full of desperation.

"Fine, but hurry up please, I have a... a dentist appointment." Her voice quivered with the lie. It wouldn't have been very significant, apart from the fact that she was currently dating her dentist, which Will obviously remembered. His whole body seemed to slump at her words, but he quickly pulled himself together as best as he could.

"I'm thinking of taking the glee kids on a little vacation. Nothing particularly fancy or over the top, but I just want to reward them for all of their hard work." He looked down at his hands, unable to meet Emma's curious gaze. "I have some money saved for a rainy day, and Figgins actually gave me a small amount to put towards the cost..." He trailed off, waiting for Emma Pillsbury's trademark inspiring advice.

She gulped a little before clearing her throat. "That's a nice idea Will."

His head snapped up in disbelief. Emma was already packing away her things, assuming that that was that.

"That's all you have to say?" he asked, a strain of frustration coursing through his body. "What about all the risks? What about possible conflicts? What if one of the kids gets injured while we're there, or even dies?"

Emma's eyes widened with shock as the colour left her face. "Will, that's a terrible thing to say, I –"

Will stood up, slamming his fists into her desk. "But it's a possibility! And you're not even going to say anything because of some stupid feud we have going on?"

Emma's hands shook for all sorts of reasons. She'd never seen Will so angry before, and in all honesty, it scared the hell out of her. Still, what he said was wrong. Of _course_ he'd portray her as the villain, when all along, it had been him that had caused them problems. Emma stood up too, and though she couldn't find it in her to yell at him just yet, she clenched her jaw and tightened her hands into fists.

"Some stupid feud? That's what you think this is, Will? You broke my heart and _humiliated_ me. I called you out in front of everyone so that you could feel the tiniest bit of embarrassment, yet it was _nothing_ compared to how I felt when Sue Sylvester told me the man I loved was a cheat."

Will's mouth hung slack; her words felt like a hard slap across the face. "Emma-"

"So do not tell me that it is some _stupid feud_, because if that's what you think about my heart breaking, then I don't want to have to listen to your voice anymore. Have a good summer Will." Emma didn't bother to pack away her work. She instead simply grabbed her handbag before storming out of her office, fighting off the tears that were soon to make an appearance. That wasn't how she wanted her summer to begin, but she was so _sick_ of everyone walking all over her. She didn't even bother to feel guilty, because deep down, she was sure that she was _almost_ over Will Schuester.

Will was never really the kind of person who cried until he became the director of glee club. Sure, he'd cried when he'd got married, and he'd cried when he thought he had become a father, but those had been rare occasions until glee. He'd cried when Journey had played in his car, he'd cried when the kids sung To Sir With Love_,_ and honestly, he had cried on his own after Sue had given glee another year.

So, as he stood in Emma's office, staring down at her desk, it goes without saying that he cried like a baby. He'd made himself believe that his glee kids would win Sectionals, then Regionals, because he had faith in them. Likewise, he had made himself believe that Emma would take him back. He'd made a mistake or two (the worst he'd ever made), but he _knew_ that she loved him. All he had to do was convince her that he was one hundred percent hers. He hadn't for one moment believed that she would want nothing to do with him, because that meant accepting his own unhappiness.

Will returned to his apartment alone, clutching a handful of travel brochures, and sat at his dining table, staring soullessly at the photos of picturesque beaches and perfect getaways. Before Emma had stripped him down so harshly, he had planned to ask her to come with him and the kids. He'd imagined that she'd say yes, and he'd hoped that she would now be sat beside him, suggesting locations that she deemed the most appropriate. With a reluctant beer in his hand, Will circled a few possibilities before eventually drifting to sleep on his couch.

**Glee!**

Early the next morning, Will groaned as he rubbed his aching body. Despite the fact that he really wanted to go back to sleep, he knew that he had a few things to sort out first. He'd chosen a few cheaper destinations to consider, and he needed to see if they had the room to house thirteen people (though he was determined to get it to fourteen).

After calling around for an hour or so, Will was happy with his choice. Though the price was going to be a problem, he hoped that the kids would be able to contribute a small amount each.

"Hello, Rachel? It's Mr Schue here." Will decided to organise a little meeting before making any final decisions, and since Rachel was the most determined of the group, he started with her, hoping that she'd let a few of the glee kids know. "Yes, I'm good thank you. Listen, are you free this afternoon? Oh, that works out great. See, I've been planning to take the glee club on a little vacation and- Jeez Rachel, you're gonna deafen me!" Despite the funk that Will had fallen into about Emma, hearing Rachel's enthusiastic response cheered him up considerably. "Can you come round to my apartment for about one o'clock? That's great. Oh, and please, let the rest of the glee club know, okay? See you soon, and you're welcome. Bye."

**Glee!**

Tina was woken by the sound of her cell, which was almost enough to make her throw it out of the window (sadly, she'd closed it before bed). When she squinted at the caller, she was even more tempted to destroy it; she really wasn't in the mood for a Rachel Berry wake-up call.

"Rachel, do you know what time it is?"

"_It's ten past eight Tina. You should be up and ready by now. Summer is no time for laziness." _

Tina stuck out her tongue before realising that Rachel couldn't _actually_ see her. "Whatever. What do you want?"

"_I don't appreciate your tone Miss Cohen-Chang, but I'm going to continue regardless. I'm just passing on a message from Mr Schue. He wants everyone to stop by his apartment at one o'clock this afternoon. He wants to take us on vacation!" _

Even though it was early, Tina couldn't stop a large smile forming on her face. Her parents had already told her that they wouldn't be going on vacation this year (something about low priorities and extortionate rates), so this news was more than welcome.

"That's great! Wow, I didn't think Mr Schue could get any nicer! Do you want me to let Artie know?"

"_That would be very helpful. Actually, I'll let you contact Kurt and Mercedes too. See you later Tina!"_

Tina, suddenly very awake, giggled a little at the prospect of going on vacation with her boyfriend. This was gonna be awesome!

**Glee!**

Rachel ticked Tina, Artie, Kurt and Mercedes off of her list. She couldn't wait to tell Finn, but was less enthusiastic about the remaining names. No, Finn could tell Matt and Mike, and if she could pluck up the courage, she'd call Puck and Quinn (Quinn could deal with Santana and Brittany). Incredibly giddy, Rachel squeezed another hour of exercise into her morning, since she knew that Finn wouldn't be awake for another few hours.

**Glee!**

Will fumbled with his phone, desperate to call the number that he'd entered, but he didn't have the courage. What could he say to Emma after her angry outburst? He doubted she'd even answer if she saw who was calling.

Luckily, he didn't have long to dwell on his misery as the doorbell rang. He glanced at his watch, which read 12:50pm, and he knew already that Rachel was waiting to be let in. As he opened the door, his suspicions were confirmed; Rachel and Finn greeted him with huge smiles (he noticed with interest that they were both holding hands).

"Hey guys, thanks for coming! Make yourself at home."

"Thanks Mr Schue."

Finn led Rachel into the living room while Will scoured his cupboards for something other than alcohol for them to drink. Unlike their last gathering at his apartment, he had forgotten to stock up on food and snacks (and he had a feeling that this time the kids would be happy to eat them). Will peered round the corner of the kitchen, smiling to himself as Finn pulled Rachel onto his lap. It was a nice surprise that the two of them were an item again, since they both had obvious chemistry.

"I forgot to get some drinks and food in. Would you two stay here while I drive down to the store?"

Finn nodded eagerly before Rachel could protest. "Sure thing. I am actually kind of hungry."

Will grabbed his coat, and after giving a quick wave, left the two teens alone in his place, to which Finn took the opportunity to kiss the back of Rachel's neck, making her squirm and giggle until he stopped.

"No funny business until we leave Finn Hudson. We should not be messing about in our teacher's apartment." She adjusted herself so that she was facing Finn, who pouted at her words.

"Awh come on Rach, it's not as if he's watching. Besides, it's been a whole... I dunno, it's been a while since I last kissed you, and I can't not kiss you when you're sitting on my lap."

Rachel rolled her eyes playfully."Finn, you kissed me _ten minutes_ ago in the car."

He shrugged as he instead squeezed her in a hug. "That's a long time for me."

Rachel watched Finn's face fall, and despite the fact that she wanted to be strong and independent, she found herself kissing Finn's lips to get rid of his sadness.

Kissing Finn was one of Rachel's favourite things in the world; it beat watching musicals, it beat cuddling her stuffed rabbit, and it almost beat singing solos in glee (though when her lips met his, she completely forgot that glee even existed). She hadn't exactly had a lot of experience of locking lips with another, though it was as if her mouth remembered the first time Finn had kissed her, oh so many months ago, in the auditorium. He had been the first boy who was interested in her as a person rather than a slushie target, and despite the fact that she'd since made out with Puck (he was experienced but a little too eager) and Jesse (his kisses were a little too sweet), she favoured Finn most of all. His lips seemed to mould into hers, and even when he granted her just a peck, she felt her mouth sizzle with affection. She especially liked the way his tongue grazed the top of his lip before he kissed her, and the fact that he always tasted absolutely _delicious._

Someone cleared their throat, causing Rachel to shriek and fall off of Finn's lap.

"Sorry to scare you, I forgot my keys." Finn looked guiltily up at Mr Schue as he helped Rachel from off of the floor. "It looks like a few more kids are here, so I'll let them in while I get some things." He headed towards the door again, leaving Rachel red faced and frustrated.

"I told you we shouldn't be doing that here," she huffed at Finn, who couldn't stop himself from laughing. It started out as an uncharacteristic giggle (he refused to believe that he knew how to giggle), but it soon turned into a loud, honest laugh that made Rachel fold her arms with annoyance.

Finn ran his hand across her face, still chuckling at what had just happened. "Sorry Rach, I don't know why I'm laughing..." He wiped the non-existent tears from his eyes. "Now, where were we?"

"Heeeey!" Finn groaned quietly to himself as Mercedes practically pranced into the living room, Kurt faithfully by her side. "I can't believe this is happening!" she almost screamed, to which Kurt laid a cautious hand on her shoulder.

"Mercedes, we're stood right next to you."

"I know, this is so nice of Mr Schue to even suggest!" Rachel jumped up to hug her friends, something which she didn't usually do, and Kurt raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"God, you two haven't already done the nasty have you? Is that why you're so bouncy this morning?"

Rachel felt a faint blush creep onto her cheeks, but she didn't let it affect her. "No we haven't, not that it's any of your business."

Kurt held his hands up in defeat. "Whatever, not like I care."

The doorbell rang, and to stop himself from feeling awkward (he couldn't get the image of doing Rachel out of his head), Finn practically sprinted towards the door.

"Hey man," greeted Puck, who had Quinn's arm wrapped through his own.

"Hey." Finn didn't say anything else. He hoped they'd reach normality again one day, but it wasn't looking likely just yet. Santana and Brittany followed in after them, and not even two minutes later, Artie and Tina arrived, closely followed by Matt and Mike. With no sign of Mr Schue, the glee kids began to discuss the prospect of a vacation together.

"Mr Schue better not choose somewhere educational, cause I swear, if I have to learn things during summer, someone's gonna pay." Quinn laughed quietly at Puck, while Matt nodded solemnly in agreement.

"I hope we're going to a beach. Summer means sun, and sun means it's time to tan."

Brittany looked at Santana with her usual confused frown. "But Santana, you're already tanned. If you tan any more, will you end up like Mercedes?"

Everyone burst into laughter, though Santana whispered something inaudible to Brittany while Mercedes stopped herself from defending her proud skin colour (it was only Brittany after all).

"I don't care where we're going. It's going to be so much fun going with you guys." Artie squeezed Tina's hand as she smiled at the rest of the group. All at once, it was as if everyone remembered the last time they'd been here, when Tina had burst into tears before Regionals. Now, to see her excited about spending time with them, every single member felt their hearts warm with affection (though Finn instead felt his stomach rumble with hunger).

"Hey guys, I'm glad you all could make it!" Mr Schue appeared in their moment of reflection carrying five bottles of various drinks, and three huge bags of assorted candy and chips. "So, I'm assuming everyone got the message, but just to clarify, this is speculative for now." Brittany and Finn frowned at the word speculative, and both Santana and Rachel kindly explained what it meant. "When I say speculative, I don't mean that we may or may not be going. It's just about finding the perfect place for the perfect price." Finn looked down guiltily at his shoes. He and Puck had yet to pay off their debts to Vocal Adrenaline, and he knew, even without that weighing over their heads, that neither of them were exactly rich. Puck's mom made little as a kindergarten teacher, and even though they'd moved in with the Hummels, Finn's mom had practically nothing to indulge her son with.

Rachel felt Finn tense up beside her (she had become so sensitive to even the slightest movement of his body), and she knew why without asking him. She was lucky in the respect that her fathers made quite a bit of money. They weren't rich, but compared to some of the students at McKinley, Rachel was financially comfortable.

"Mr Schue, how much is it going to cost us?" Rachel rubbed her fingers over Finn's hand lightly, trying to assure him that it would be okay.

"Actually, if all goes to plan, it'll cost you nothing, or at least, no more than thirty dollars." Every kid in the room seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

"So, where do you think we'll be going?" asked Mike, who was brave enough to ask the question on everyone's minds.

Mr Schue smiled before revealing his number one choice. "Well, if all goes to plan... Lake Erie Beach."

**A/N: **Since I live in the UK, I apologise in advance if any of the details in the upcoming chapters are wrong (since this is fiction anyway, I'm just going to make this up as I go along, so this won't be based on the real place that is Lake Erie, if that makes sense?)

Thanks again to everyone who has reveiwed; I appreciate it more than you know!


	5. Chapter 5

"Well, if all goes to plan... Lake Erie Beach."

At the idea of going to a beach, a hum of approval filled the apartment.

"Where will we stay?" asked Artie a little hesitantly. He didn't want to have this conversation already, but he hoped that Mr Schue had catered for his needs.

"In a little beach house. It accommodates up to twelve people, though with effort I'm sure we can fit in another skinny person." Brittany looked down at her stomach, wondering if she could squeeze in between everyone else.

"What about wheelchair access?" It was Kurt who asked this question, which resulted in a thankful smile from Artie.

"Accounted for. The house has ramps, and from what I've seen of the photos, it's very accessible in every room." From the sound of things, Mr Schue had really thought of everything.

"What about catering? As I'm sure you're aware, I'm a practising vegan, and Tina is allergic to seafood. Kurt doesn't agree with-"

Will held a hand up to stop Rachel's onslaught. "It's self catered, which means that we'll have to work together to make some kind of cooking schedule. Besides, depending on our funds, there's always the option of eating out, though that would probably be a one-off." Again, a murmur of approval drifted across the club.

"How are the rooms set out?" Rachel felt a blush dance across her face, as did Quinn and Tina, despite the fact that it had been Matt who had spoken out. It was going to be a big thing for all of them, but for the girls in relationships, this was uncharted territory. Rachel and Tina were both virgins, and though Quinn clearly wasn't, she hadn't slept with anyone since her first time. What was it going to be like sleeping under the same roof as the boys?

"There are three rooms in total. One has a single bed, another has room for five people, and the other has room for six. The biggest room is where all of the males will sleep since it caters for Artie best." A silent sigh rippled through the boys; they'd have to spend more time with the girls at the beach instead. "Obviously, I'll be staying in the single room, and the girls will have to fight for room with the five beds."

Puck could only imagine how awesome that would be (almost naked girls hitting each other with their pillows... Man, he wished he could watch).

Mercedes looked across at Kurt, who had a sad expression on his face. Despite the fact that she wanted an answer now, she stopped herself from asking about where Kurt would be staying; it wasn't something to bring up in front of everyone.

"Well, the most important part of all; when do we go?" Excited smiles began to appear at Rachel's question; it was all rather surreal.

"If it's okay with you guys, I was going to book it for a week on Monday. That gives you some time to enjoy being away from glee, while also buying lots of new clothes and swimsuits! Anyway, let me know as soon as you can if you can make it, then I can book accordingly. Now, does anyone want some chips?"

**Glee!**

Finn drove home slowly as usual (he still cringed when he saw a passing mailman), listening to the calm breathing of the girl beside him. Oddly, Rachel hadn't said a word since leaving the apartment, and in all honesty, Finn had been waiting for a break down on what she wanted to achieve from the upcoming vacation.

"Rach?" Finn finally ventured. He glanced across at her once, but since he refused to look away from the road for more than a second, he returned his gaze to the traffic in front.

"Hmm?" Even her murmur sounded off.

"Is everything okay? You haven't said anything since we were at Mr Schue's. You're not still mad about me dropping you are you? 'Cause it was an accident, and I didn't mean to upset you by laughing."

Rachel felt a warm tingle flood through her body. Finn was so genuinely sweet that she often forgot how truly special he was (she didn't care how corny it sounded in her head).

"Don't worry, it's not about that."

Finn sighed with relief before smiling his lopsided grin. "Okay, I'm glad. I'm still sorry though."

She nodded appreciatively. "I know you are." She fell into silence again, hoping that he'd drop it.

He didn't. "Well, are you gonna let me in on your sad little secret?"

Rachel felt her heart drop. "What do you- How do you know that-"

Finn indicated towards the side of the road and carefully pulled up beside some parked cars, ready to give her his full attention. "I didn't mean anything by it. A secret's something that no one else knows, and since you seem sobd... sub..."

Rachel pulled a tiny smile. "Subdued."

Finn nodded. "Right, yeah, subdued, I figured that it was making you sad."

Finn was like a child in some respects. He seemed to see things in such an innocent way, unpolluted by the crappy life around him. Rachel felt touched that he'd even noticed that she was out of character (it wouldn't have surprised her if he had been happy for a break from her voice).

"I'm frightened Finn," she admitted with a sad smile. "I don't know if I want to go on vacation with the glee club."

Finn furrowed his brow. "But you seemed so excited this morning when you told me."

Rachel looked at the time in the dashboard of Finn's car; had they really been at Mr Schue's for nearly five hours? "I was then. I was when Mr Schuester told us about it, but as the meeting went on, I just realised that..."

"Hey hey hey come on Rachel, don't cry." Finn clumsily wiped the tears from Rachel's face, even though she hadn't been aware that she was crying.

"What if everyone is annoyed by me after a week of my constant presence? I realise that I'm high maintenance in small doses, but I'm even worse in large durations!" Finn opened his mouth to protest, but Rachel wasn't done yet. "And sleeping in the same room as the glee girls... I realised today that the only member of glee that I feel truly comfortable with is you Finn, and I'm frightened that they'll leave me out, or ignore me." Rachel sighed, resisting the urge to cry again.

"Rach, listen to me." He ran a finger down Rachel's cheek to try and catch her attention. "I'm still not okay with Puck, even though we used to be best friends. I very rarely talk to Artie because almost everything he says goes straight over my head. Mike and Matt are cool when it comes to football, but other than that, we only ever say hi to each other. Kurt is the only one I really talk to, and that's only since I'm living with the guy." He gulped once. "You know, in a totally none gay way." Rachel allowed a tiny giggle to escape her lips. "The point is that we're not all best friends, but we're gonna have fun regardless. Besides, I'm gonna keep you glued to my side from breakfast till supper, and I'll talk to you all night on those cool radio things if I have to."

Finn was greeted with a proper Rachel Berry smile. "I've told you that I love you, right?" she whispered.

Finn grinned with a sprinkle of shyness. "You can tell me again if you want."

**Glee!**

That night, every member of glee went home with one objective in mind; convince their parents to let them go on vacation. Out of the twelve, it was Kurt's dad who was the first to say yes.

"Hey Kurt, what happened at Schuester's? He didn't force you to go to rehearsals all summer did he?"

Kurt smiled at the defensive tone in his dad's voice. He knew that he and Mr Schue had never really seen eye to eye since the Defying Gravity incident.

"No, he didn't. Actually dad, there's something I need to talk to you about..." Kurt wasn't sure why he was nervous, but deep down, he had a feeling that it was something to do with his mom; he hadn't been away from his dad since her death.

"Is everything okay son?" Burt looked overly worried, which made Kurt smile softly.

"Can I go on vacation with glee club?"

Burt sighed loudly with relief before chuckling to himself. "God Kurt, don't scare me like that! Of course you can go. Come on, we can discuss it over a beer and a coke."

**Glee!**

Mike brought the subject up whilst his mom was attempting some kind of pastry dessert (cooking had become her latest obsession).

"Mom?" he asked timidly, staring at his worn shoes rather than her face. His voice was so quiet, though since his mother was used to the volume, she didn't have any trouble hearing him.

"Yes Mike? While you're talking, will you pass me that egg? I think I have to add that now." He nodded dumbly, and for once in his life, he decided not to be embarrassed about glee. His mother had been fairly understanding of the club thing, though whenever it was brought up, she'd try to sweep it under the carpet; his father refused to accept that glee even existed.

"Mr Schuester, our glee teacher, wants to take the club on a weeklong vacation. Can I go?"He heard the distinctive smash of an egg shell, though if she'd meant to break it he didn't know. He mentally prepared an argument if she flat out refused, though it turned out that he didn't need it after all.

"As long as it's properly organised, I don't see why not." She turned gingerly to look at her son. "Fancy singing along to the radio with me?"

Mike felt a genuine smile spread across his face. At least small steps were steps in the right direction.

**Glee!**

"Noah Puckerman, get here right this minute!"

Puck mentally groaned as soon as he got inside the house. He was so sick of his mom's goddamn _nagging_! He dragged himself into the living room where she sat, her arms crossed, her eyes blazing.

"What did I do wrong Noah? I gave you everything I could give, I taught you to be respectable, and you go and do something like this!"

Puck snorted; for once, he hadn't an idea in hell what she was rambling on about. "Care to enlighten me?"

His mom rolled her eyes. "You didn't turn up for work, and don't bother denying it. The assistant manager practically slapped me over the phone for your absence! I wish I could ship you off to camp or something, but you're too old for messing around with things like that."

Puck didn't give a crap about Sheets 'N' Things. He'd meant to call in sick before stopping by Mr Schue's, but he'd forgotten, and really, what did it matter? Practically all of his money went to the Vocal Adrenaline dweebs anyway. Still, not wanting to miss an opportunity, Puck played the hand he was given.

"Mr Schue wants to take us on an all expenses paid vacation for a week. Can I go?"

His mom sighed into her hands. "Can he keep you for longer?"

_Success._

**Glee!**

Mercedes was welcomed home by a scream of excitement which caught her a little off guard (she hadn't meant to punch her mom in self defence).

"Gee M, you've got a pretty good throw. At least that's one less thing to worry about."

Mercedes gave a guilty grin as her mom rubbed her arm, wincing occasionally. "So, what's with all the screaming?"

Her mom began to smile again, as if remembering something amazing. "Your dad won a raffle at the dental practice! It's an all expense-paid trip to California for a week!"

Mercedes screamed with her mom as they both practically squeezed each other to death. "When is it?" she asked, feeling an uncomfortable tug at her stomach.

"A week on Monday."

Mercedes felt all the air rush from her body. This was California, somewhere she'd wanted to go for so long, but it was also glee club, and all her friends would be going...

"The only thing is..." Her mom trailed off, leaving Mercedes to raise a hopeful eyebrow. "It's only for two people, and I'm not too sure about leaving you in the house alone."

"No, no, that's perfect! Mr Schue invited us all to go on vacation during that week! I was wondering if I could go?"

Her mom smiled with relief and excitement again. "Of course you can!"

Mercedes beamed as her mom waffled on about all the sights in California. She couldn't wait to tell Kurt!

**Glee!**

Brittany had forgotten all about the glee club vacation by the time she'd gotten home. If it wasn't for the fact that Santana called to remind her about the meeting, Brittany would have simply flopped in front of the television, happy to watch the end of Aladdin with her younger sister.

"Britt, your phone is making a funny noise."Brittany swayed along to the closing scene, humming to A Whole New World. "Britt!"

Brittany shook herself out of her Disney stupor at her sister's voice. "Oh, that's Santana's ringtone!" She smiled happily as her phone sang Hips Don't Lie (the Latina had picked it out herself). "Hey Santana, I knew it was you!" She felt so much better hearing her friend's voice. She felt like she'd forgotten something, so maybe Santana could help.

"What are you up to Britt? Asked your mom yet?"

"I'm watching Aladdin! I love this film, because even though Princess Jasmine has black hair and not blonde, she has a pet tiger which would be so cool don't you think? And she marries Aladdin, who has a magic carpet AND a monkey! I wish I lived in Agrabah."

Santana seemed to ignore everything Brittany had just said, and refused to admit that Aladdin was her favourite Disney film of all time (closely followed by The Little Mermaid).

"And the vacation?"

Brittany's face lit up with remembrance. "One sec San." She pressed her phone to her chest, laughed as the Genie said 'Made you look', then shouted to her mom, who was busy in some other room. "Mom, there's a beach trip soon with glee club. Can I go?"

"Sure honey."

Brittany beamed. "I can go San! How about you?"

She heard Santana clear her throat before she replied. "I haven't asked yet but my parents let me do what I want, so don't sweat it. Wanna going to see a movie tomorrow?"

Brittany babbled away about which movie they should see, oblivious to the slight worry in her best friend's voice.

**Glee!**

Matt checked the clock on the wall as he returned home from Mr Schue's place. It was quarter past five, which meant that his mom would still be working, though his dad would be getting ready for his night shift. Part of him wanted to wait until his mom was home, but Mike had already text him three times asking if he was allowed to go. Taking a deep breath, Matt hung his coat on the hook before going to face his dad.

"Afternoon Matt. Have fun with glee club?" His dad hadn't been too happy about the arrangement at first, but after seeing a few of his son's dance moves (and after hearing him sing when he thought no one would could hear), he'd realised how talented his son really was.

"It was good. I uh... I need to ask you something."

Matt's dad took off his glasses to get a better look at the boy stood in front of him. "Go ahead."

Matt gulped. "Glee club are going on a short vacation a week on Monday. Can I go, if I pay everything myself?"

His dad smiled. "Of course you can Matt. We'll sit down and sort it out tomorrow since I'm leaving for work in an hour." He put away a pile of documents and typed a number into his phone. "Don't forget to make dinner for your mother." Matt nodded. "Oh, and don't forget to let Mike Chang know. I know that boy, and I bet he's desperate to hear if you can go. Say hi from me."

Matt headed towards the kitchen with a laugh. "Right dad, will do."

**Glee!**

Despite the fact that living at the Puckerman residence had been a trying ordeal, Quinn genuinely missed the whole atmosphere of the household, and she missed the Jones family even more. It had taken an unplanned pregnancy for Quinn to realise that her life wasn't as perfect as she'd once believed. She appreciated the fact that her mom had forgiven her, but their relationship was immensely strained, and the whole 'Can I do anything for you Quinn?' routine was getting old. Therefore, Quinn knew, without even asking, that her mom would say yes to the glee club vacation. She considered asking anyway out of politeness, but in the end, she decided that it would make no difference either way, and once she arrived home safely, she waited patiently for a text from Puck, passing the time by doing light floor exercises (she was determined to rid herself of the baby weight).

"Quinn, how did it go this afternoon? What did your teacher want?" Her mom hovered in the background, still not fully comfortable with being in the same room as her daughter.

"We're going on a short trip a week on Monday, just so you know." Quinn said nothing more, and though she was sure she heard a sigh from her mother, by the time she glanced towards the door, her mom had already disappeared, probably pouring herself another drink. Quinn's phone buzzed in her pocket. With a smile and a sigh herself, she read the message.

_"Puckasaurus has approvl for glee vacay. Make sure u pack ur bikini"_

_"Will do stud, so long as you pack yours too x"_

**Glee!**

Tina's method was tried and tested. It was childish and a little dumb, but if it worked, who was she to complain? She looked at herself in the mirror in order to practice her breathing exercises, while also rehearsing her lines in her head.

"Tina, is that you?" Her mom called out from the dining room, though it sounded like she wasn't alone... Awh crap, it was Saturday! Every week, Mr and Mrs Hillman came round for dinner, and though Tina rarely said more than a polite greeting to them, she knew that tonight would not be a good time to mention glee.

"Yeah, it's me," she called back. Well, there went her Twilight plan. She usually managed to use the vampire thing in her favour, since her mom felt slightly guilty for not letting her watch the movie, and Tina had been hoping to bring it up again.

"Come and greet our guests before you slink off to your room."

Tina sighed inwardly. It was in situations like these when her stutter was on the brink of becoming real. She traipsed reluctantly into the dining room and forced a smile to the guests.

"Hi, nice to see you." Her mother gave her the 'Okay, now you can leave' look, but Tina suddenly realised that she could use the situation to her advantage. "Mom, dad, can I go on vacation with glee club a week on Monday?"

Her mom looked like she was going to say no, but her dad butted in. "Sure, but let's talk about it later, alright?"

Tina beamed. "Alright dad, thanks!" She quickly ran out of the room, knowing that asking for proof in writing would be going a little too far.

**Glee!**

Rachel let herself into her house with a huge smile on her face. Everything was absolutely perfect, and yes, while technically she and Finn had been dating for barely two days, those barely two days had been amazing. On top of her victory of love, Mr Schue had surprised them with the proposition of a vacation of all things! Despite her earlier reservations, she knew that spending a week with her friends would be challenging yet rewarding (and the idea of spending so much quality time with Finn made her head dizzy with excitement). She knew that a few of the club members had been worried about getting parental permission, but for Rachel, she'd practically been born with the go-ahead. Still, she wanted to consult her dads regardless, since they'd want to make sure that she wouldn't be killed in a freak storm or a fishing accident (they say worse things happen at sea).

"Dad, daddy, I'm home!" Rachel danced into the living room, still high on Finn's kisses. Gosh, was it crazy that she missed him already?

"It's just me pumpkin, your dad's gone to the store." The voice belonged to her daddy, who was quietly reading a book on show dogs (Rachel made a mental note to ask him about that later).

"Daddy, Mr Schuester's arranged a weeklong vacation for the glee club due to all the effort and work we put into, well, losing at Regionals." She huffed at the smile on her daddy's face. "Well, not just that, but because we've worked hard all year long, and we've dealt with lots of terrible things along the way, including babies and heartbreak and eggs and tall, charmingly handsome boys..." Rachel trailed off, lost in her own daydreams.

"Rachel honey, you haven't been taking any kind of illegal substances have you?"

She wasn't sure if he was joking, so she simply stuck her tongue out at him. "So, can I go?"

Her daddy put a hand under his chin as he thought about her request, which was terribly unnerving for a girl who always got what she wanted. "There are boys in glee club."

Rachel's cheeks flushed with unexpected embarrassment. "Daddy..."

He held up a hand to stop her in her tracks. "Teenage boys mean trouble, and I'd hate to think of my baby girl being subjected to their primitive sexual desires."

"Daddy!"

He shrugged. "I was a teenage boy once, and I know that hormones can drive you crazy. I'm going to call Mr Schuester to make sure that measures are out into place to stop you being tainted by their behaviour."

Rachel gave the best pout she could give, but her daddy wouldn't budge. "Fine, but is it still a yes?"

Her daddy shrugged again. "I suppose so." Rachel rushed forward to plant a kiss on his cheek before darting to her room. She had to plan her wardrobe for the trip, and since she had finally won Finn's heart, it was more important than ever that she looked her absolute best.

**Glee!**

As always, Artie's dad picked him up, despite the fact that he wanted to get the bus with Tina. Still, it saved him the humiliation of trying to wheel himself onto the bus ramp, and it allowed him to ask his dad about the trip. Just as the car pulled into their drive, Artie cleared his throat, causing his dad to remain by his side.

"Dad, since we're here, I need to ask you something."

His dad looked across at his son and smiled warmly. "You can ask me anything Artie."

Artie looked down at his useless legs, knowing that there was a high chance of disappointment. "We went round to Mr Schue's because he wants to take us on vacation for a week to a beach house at Lake Erie." Still not wanting to look at his dad, Artie continued to stare at everything but his face. "Can I go?"

"Artie, you don't need to be embarrassed." Artie looked towards his dad, who smiled kindly (it helped considerably to put his mind at ease). "We'll go and talk to your mother about it, okay?"

Artie gulped. It wasn't that his mom was strict, but since his accident, she had become very overprotective of him, and he had a sinking feeling that she'd say no. The door to Artie's side was opened by his dad, who looked in curiously.

"Is that all? You seem a little tense."

Artie forced a chuckle. "You know what mom's like; if she could have her own way, she'd be still helping me in the bathroom." His dad chuckled with him as he helped his son from the car, and bracing himself, Artie let his dad wheel him inside out of sheer nerves. He wanted to go more than anything; he couldn't imagine telling Tina that he had to stay at home.

"Hey honey, me and Artie are back. Are you busy?"

A flustered face appeared from around the corner of the kitchen, breaking into a look of concern as she took in Artie's body language. "God, what happened? Don't sugar-coat whatever it is. Did someone get hurt?"

Artie could practically hear his dad roll his eyes. "Everything's fine. We just need to sit down and have a talk about something, and no, Artie isn't pregnant."

Artie smirked as his mom scowled. "Fine, come on then, the dinner's going to be a while anyway."

Everyone made their way into the living room, waiting patiently for Artie to pull himself onto the couch (it was much comfier than his chair) before his mom nearly burst with anticipation and worry.

"Come on you two, what's happening?"

Artie looked at his dad for help, because he knew how his mom would react. Thankfully, his dad gave a tiny nod, as if to say 'I've got your back'.

"Mr Schue, isn't it?" he asked his son, who gave a quiet nod. "Mr Schue wants to take the glee club up to Lake Erie for a week. Artie can go, right?"

Both father and son watched as a wave of fear spread across Mrs Abrams' face. "But what if they don't have wheelchair access?"

Artie looked down at his hands. "Mr Schuester said that it does." His voice was extremely quiet.

His mom didn't look convinced. "What about the sand? Your wheels would get stuck, and you'd have to watch all your friends having fun in the sea. You may brush it off now, but it'll be hard to bear later on."

Artie nodded again. He realised that his mom was looking out for him, but he already understood what she was saying; he didn't take it lightly.

"Look honey, I think Artie should go." Artie's head snapped up at his dad's words.

"No, but I don't-"

"I'm not trying to undermine you. Artie's responsible and can look after himself. He has Tina to help out, and this Mr Schuester sounds like a brilliant teacher; I know he'll make sure he's safe." His dad turned to Artie, who was smiling widely. "It's a yes for now, so long as you get every single bit of information. Now, want help with dinner dear? I'm starving." Artie's dad patted him on the shoulder as he headed towards the kitchen, and though his mom forced out a smile, Artie saw a tear slide down her cheek as she followed after her husband.

**Glee!**

Finn got back to the Hummel house after Kurt, since he'd spent so much time with Rachel. He had to admit that Mr Schue was even cooler than he'd previously thought, since he hadn't been on vacation in forever. Finances had always been a bit of a problem, but he'd never resented his mom for that. This time however, if it turned out that he did have to pay more than expected, Finn knew it would be a big deal. He'd made a lot of friends thanks to glee, and even better, he was sure he'd met his soul mate (though he wasn't exactly sure if he believed in that kind of crap). If he had to miss out on a week of non-stop Rachel Berry, he knew he was going to sulk all summer.

Finn clenched his knuckles on the steering wheel. Kurt would surely be going, since Burt seemed to crap dollars. He'd given him money in the past, but asking outright for it seemed rude, and ever since their huge bust up, he hadn't exactly apologised (it was hard, okay?). He still lived in the Hummel house, but he'd been exiled to the small spare room to avoid anymore disturbances, and since that was more than he'd ever asked for, he didn't want to push his luck.

Finn sighed as he saw Kurt hovering at the window, staring out at the big oaf in the driveway. He had no doubt mentioned the glee vacation, which meant that his mom would already know about it. Man, he hated asking her for money! His job should have been enough to pay for it, but it had barely paid for even one set of tyres.

Finn's cell vibrated in his pocket, making him wake from his pity fest. Without looking at it, he knew that it would be Rachel, probably letting him know that she was able to go. Suddenly determined, he jumped out of his car, slammed the door behind him, and knocked on the door like a goof, since he'd misplaced his new key.

"Ah, Mr Hudson, I was wondering if you'd been arrested on your way home or something. I've been back for half an hour." Kurt blocked the way inside, wrinkling his nose at some smell or another. "Let me guess. You've been attached to a certain Miss Berry since we left Mr Schue's; I can smell her obnoxious perfume already."

Finn pulled a confused face. "Why do you keep calling us Mr and Miss?"

Kurt shrugged. "I'm just a little more refined than you. Anyway, you'll be delighted to know that I've been granted permission to go on the glee vacation. I've already informed Carole, so I've saved you the job."

Finn groaned into his hands. "What did she say?" he mumbled.

Kurt looked a little taken aback. "She was fine with it. You do want to go, right?"

Finn muttered something before nodding. "Yeah, it's just that..." He lifted his head to look at Kurt. They were sort of brothers, so it made sense to treat him like one. "We haven't always had a lot of money, and if it does end up costing us, I don't know if I'll be able to go." Finn felt his cheeks flush at his confession. He wasn't sure Kurt would even understand since he evidently spent a lot of money on his wardrobe. Therefore, it helped immensely to see a kind smile spread across Kurt's face (it didn't look like he was mocking him either).

"Finn, we're practically a family now, and because of that, my dad's offered to pay for us both to go. Besides, you don't need to be embarrassed about it." He laid a careful hand on Finn's shoulder. "Come on, let's go and watch some basketball or something."

Finn smiled with affection. "Thanks Kurt."

**Glee!**

Santana hadn't gone straight home after the glee meeting; she avoided spending time with her family because she couldn't handle the stress of it all. Even driving around for an hour or two was preferable to listening to her mom moan about something, and knowing that she had to spend all summer in her presence, Santana couldn't wait to get away. Despite the nerd level of a glee vacation, she was happy to tag along, especially now that Brittany was going.

Still, she knew she had to return at some point. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been happy in the family house, and though it should have upset her, it didn't even bring a tear to her eye (though little did). No, this was just a realisation of the inevitable; she was growing up, and as she pulled up outside her house, she knew that this place was just another among endless that she didn't belong. She couldn't wait to graduate high school so that she could find her own space to call home.

Until then, it meant she'd have to suck up the shitty times and concentrate on getting out of Lima. Besides, she had proper friends now, and she was sure that the glee club vacation was going to do her a lot of good. Thinking about enjoying the beach with Brittany and Puck, Santana walked confidently towards the front door of her house. She'd been a pain in recent days, but now was the time to apologise for her bitchy behaviour, especially since she actually needed something from her parents.

Santana slid her key into the door, and quietly, let herself in. The TV was buzzing in the living room, which meant her mother was probably drinking whilst watching some excuse for a chick flick.

"Mom, I'm home." Santana felt a flicker of colour burn across her cheeks. She didn't normally announce her arrival because frankly, no one ever cared, so why was she doing it now? Oh, right, she was nervous; go figure.

"Santana, I want a word."

Santana cursed to herself at her mother's voice; she was out of her head on alcohol. Silently, she wondered what had triggered her latest 'breakdown', which she suffered from time to time. Santana did as she was told (a feat in itself), and found herself staring down, uncaring, at a mother whose face was puffy with tears, a large glass of some kind of spirit in her hand.

"Are you okay?" Santana managed to ask, to which her mom hiccupped a few times.

"I've had enough of this." She looked up at her daughter, who gave a shrug.

"Enough of what?"

A harsh laugh rumbled through her mom's lips as she waved her hands in the air, spilling most of her drink on the sofa. "Enough of all of this fucking place!" Santana winced as if she'd just been slapped across the face. It wasn't the severity of the curse that frightened her, but the implications of what it meant; her mom _never_ swore.

"Mom, has something happened? I-" She stopped as her mother shook her head, laughing again in such a soulless way.

"I had high hopes for our family. You were such a beautiful baby. I was certain that you would be the brightest, friendliest girl possible, and yet somehow, under my very nose, you turned into a slut." Her words, though slurred and disjointed, were full of irreversible malice that made Santana's body quiver with fear and anger and sadness and regret. "When you started high school, I realised how pretty you were. Of course the boys would be interested in you, but I believed that you'd be strong enough to say no." The glass teetered again, sending the rest of the liquid over the carpet.

"Mom-"

Her mother didn't bother to hear Santana out. "You joined the celibacy club; the fucking celibacy club!" She didn't hesitate to throw the glass at the wall, and as the sharp shards fell to the floor, Santana realised just how frightened she was. "How could you have become such a whore Santana? Don't you have a heart?" Santana knew she should have been crying, but she didn't have it in her. Besides, she had _changed. _The girl her mom talked about disappeared when glee club won at Sectionals... hadn't she? Some parts remained, but Santana was sure that she was a different person now.

"What has brought all this on?" she asked curtly, hating the way her hands shook with emotion. "You've always turned a blind eye before."

Her mother pressed a button on the answering machine, and though it was difficult to make out, Santana recognised the voice of a nameless jock, one of her earliest conquests.

"_Heeeey Santanaaaa. I'm reaaally, really drunk right now but I think we should tooootally get it on again. You were the best gggggirl I've ever fuccccked, so call me, aright?"_

Santana now felt a tear of betrayal in her eye. How had he even got her home number? Well, it didn't matter either way. She knew that her mom wouldn't believe that she hadn't slept with anyone for months. She knew she wouldn't believe that she'd finally, possibly, found just one person that she wanted to devote all of her attention to. She knew she wouldn't accept that the person was a blonde, female cheerleader, because Santana had already given herself a bad reputation.

"Mom, you have to believe me, that was almost a year ago, I don't even-"

"You are grounded. I don't care how old you are or how much of a social life you'll be missing out on. You will not leave this house under any circumstances." With the TV still flickering and the last remnants of alcohol rolling down the wall onto the glass shards, her mother left Santana's presence, not there to witness her daughter's own breakdown.

**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed this longer chapter, though the end result is a little... meh, I don't know, I'm not too fond of it. I wanted to write about each glee member, and that was much harder than I thought since we don't know much about most of the parents. I'm sure Santana's mum isn't like that at all, but for the purposes of my story, she is. Anyway, as always, thanks to those that have this on alert, thanks to those who read it, and a special thanks to those who take the time to review! I appreciate all of your comments, and they really do spur me on to write more often. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, though to be honest, not much really happens xDD Never mind, we're setting the scene still ;)


	6. Chapter 6

Once all the kids had left (and once he'd tidied up all of their mess), Will felt so much better about everything. Regardless of his problems with Emma, he knew that he really needed a vacation, what with all the crazy things that had happened to him in the last year. Still, he didn't count Emma as a lost cause. He'd been thinking about telling her a tiny lie to help smooth things over, and since it was for a good reason, he figured that it would be okay in the long run (pretending to find drugs in Finn's locker hadn't turned out so badly). After taking a deep breath (followed by a quick swig of scotch), Will dialled Emma's number; this lie would be his only hope.

"Hello?" Will stopped himself from groaning into the phone; even her harmless greeting was adorable.

"Hey Em, it's Will." He scrunched his eyes up, waiting for the make or break moment; if she put the phone down then he was screwed.

"Will."

Will felt like punching the air in victory (however small it might be). "Hey. How are you? Enjoying the first day of your time off?" His voice was overly enthusiastic to make up for Emma's hesitance, though at least she was too nice to cut him off.

"I'm okay."

"That's good. You keeping busy?"

He heard a faint sigh of exasperation, and could imagine the way her eyelids would flutter slightly at the same time. "What do you want Will?"

"I'm not trying to steal you from Chris, if that's what you're asking."

"His name is Carl."

Will winced; he hated Carl. "Yeah, Carl, I knew that. Actually, I was wondering if you were free a week on Monday."

"Free? What for?"

Will had thought this over many times in his head. How could he invite her along without sounding desperate? Every scenario sounded like an over-the-top ploy to win her over, and deep down, he knew it wouldn't work.

"Remember that I mentioned taking the glee club on vacation?" He waited for some form of recognition, but Emma remained silent. "Well, I cleared it with Figgins, but there's a slight problem. It's really unfortunate, because I only found out _after_ I told the kids about the trip, and well, you can imagine how excited they all are." Will crossed his fingers and waited again for a response, hoping that Emma would take the bait.

"Wh-what sort of problem?"

Will took a moment to remember what he needed to say; it all had to sound genuine. "Even though it's summer, I'm still their teacher, and I can't take them on my own. The needed ratio of adult to child is six to one, so I need another chaperone to tag along for the week." Will held his breath, not quite sure he could handle another rejection.

"And you're asking me to come along?" Her voice was barely audible, though the doubt was very clear.

"You're the only person I could think to ask. You know and like the kids, so I was hoping you'd be interested."

"Will, I'll call you back." The phone went dead.

**Glee!**

Emma stared for a moment at the phone before her whole body began to shake with surprise and confusion and anger and doubt. What the hell did Will think he was playing at? It was only yesterday when she'd verbally slapped him, and yet here he was, trying again to win her over (despite what he'd said). She should have taken it as a compliment, but all Emma could think about was Carl, and not in the way she'd hoped. This morning, after spending two hours in the shower, she'd phoned Carl to tell him that she wanted to call off their relationship.

The need to break up with him had been there for a while, but it was during her breakfast of burnt toast that she suddenly decided to finish it. It had less to do with Will than she'd thought, and since she realised that Carl never really made her laugh, and never really gave her goose bumps, and never really made her heart race, she knew that it wouldn't work out, despite his very clean habits. He'd been surprisingly happy with her request, and told her that he'd enjoyed their brief time together. It was nice that things were amicable, because it lessened Emma's guilt, yet selfishly, she wished that she'd left it for a little longer. Carl had been her excuse for saying no to Will, and now, well, she couldn't use him anymore (though Will didn't need to know that she was single...).

Taking a small sip of herbal tea, Emma decided to think on his request. Despite the fact that Will had broken it once already, her heart was all too eager to give him a second chance, even though she wasn't sure she had another chance to spare.

**Glee!**

Will didn't hear from Emma that night, though he felt extremely positive about his plan. She wouldn't want to let the glee kids down, and that kept a smile on his face as the sky began to darken. Staring at the clock, Will realised just how little he had to do on his own. He usually spent his Saturday nights grading Spanish papers, but now that school was over, he had practically nothing to occupy himself with. Worryingly, he hadn't heard from any of the glee kids (he'd given them his phone number), though it wasn't time to start panicking yet.

As if able to read his mind, his received a phone call. Will hoped that it was Emma, though at the sound of Kurt, he couldn't complain.

"Hello Mr Schuester. Provided that we are informed of all necessary details within the next few days, I can happily report that Finn, Mercedes and I can attend the glee club vacation."

Will smiled like he'd just won the lottery. Three was definitely better than none. "That's great Kurt, thanks for letting me know."

"Oh, according to my latest text, you can add Tina and Artie to that list."

"And Rachel!"

Will could faintly make out Finn's excited voice in the background.

"Did you catch that Mr Schue?"

"Yep, so that makes six so far. Here's hoping everyone else can make it. Once I've got everything sorted, I'll send you each a pack of information, and then we can sort out transport and other such things."

"Sounds good. Thanks Mr Schue."

"Yeah, thanks Mr S!" called Finn.

Will grinned. "No problem guys, enjoy your weekend." Will happily made a list of the students attending so far. Those six were the safe bets, since they were the original members of glee. However, he wasn't so sure about the jocks and cheerleaders (former or otherwise). Only time would tell, though within five minutes of Kurt's phone call, Will received another.

"Hi Mr Schue, it's Quinn."

Will held his breath as he replied. "Hi Quinn. Are you the bearer of bad news or good tidings?"

"Well, it depends what you class as good. Puck and I would love to go."

Will sighed with relief. "That's great. I don't suppose you know if Mike and Matt can make it?"

"One second. Hey, have you had any word from Matt and Mike?" He presumed her whisper was for Puck, though he could still hear her talking.

"Hell yeah, they're both coming. I was worried we'd get stuck with just Hummel and Berry or something."

"Sorry about that Mr Schue, Puck's highly anti-social. Matt and Mike can go, though I haven't heard from Brittany or Santana."

"That's okay Quinn, I'm sure they'll let me know. Once I've sorted it all out, I'll send you all the information you need. Have a good night." Will added another four names to his list with a sparkle of emotion in his eyes. How had he ever considered leaving teaching? He was so excited about this vacation, and that was down to the amazing kids of glee. His phone shook for a third time, which was enough to snap him out of his reflective state.

"Hello, Will Schuester speaking." No one responded at first, though Will could hear the erratic breathing of someone on the other end. "Hey, whoever this is, are you okay?"

"It's Santana." Her voice was shaky and on the brink of breaking, which alarmed Will more than it should have. Santana wasn't the type of girl to show emotion like that, and he knew he had to help calm her down.

"Santana, what's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine, just a... a little shaken up. I just needed to let you know something." Will didn't push her. She was clearly upset, and since she'd never opened up to him before (or actually talked to him properly), he realised that this was a small breakthrough.

"I'm still here. Take as long as you want."

She sighed deeply. "Brittany can go on the vacation. She'll probably forget to let you know."

Will smiled faintly. "And you?"

"I can't go, but it's no big deal."

Will's forehead creased as he ran a hand through his hair (now was _not_ a good time to remember that he needed a trim). "Is everything okay at your house?"

Santana laughed with no humour. "No, but I'll survive. I always do. Mr Schue, could you do me a favour?"

Will wanted to help in any way he could, though whatever had happened, it was out of his hands. "Of course I will."

"Would you not tell anyone until you absolutely have to? I don't want them to know, and I don't want to upset them."

He knew, by the regret in her voice, that she was referring to Brittany."You can trust me."

"Thank you."

Will wanted to say all kinds of things, but he couldn't think of anything that didn't sound inappropriate and fake. "For what it's worth, it won't be the same without you."

Santana laughed again, though this time it sounded genuine. "I'm sure you guys can live without my bitchiness. Have a good time Mr Schue." Santana cut the conversation before Will had a chance to respond. He meant what he'd just said; glee wasn't the same unless every single member was present. Slightly downhearted, Will contacted the holiday firm, booking a weeklong vacation for the kids that could make it.

**Glee!**

On Sunday morning, Finn was woken at a ridiculous hour. His phone began to blare You're the One that I Want, and though it usually made his heart warm with affection, he was now more than tempted to throw the damn thing against the wall (though that involved a little too much effort). Mumbling a hybrid of a curse and a yawn, Finn grabbed his cell before it could reach the chorus.

"You are dead Berry," he managed to say, though he wasn't sure if Rachel could understand him through all the yawning. With dread, he glanced at the clock and groaned involuntarily; it was half past seven in the frickin' morning!

"Oh Finn, you're _so _romantic."

Finn knew perfectly that she would be frowning adorably right now, which caused a smile to appear from nowhere (he was sure it was too early to smile). "That's what they tell me. What's up? If your house isn't on fire or you're not in the hospital, then I'm going back to sleep."

Finn heard a gasp from Rachel's throat. "Actually, I fell down the stairs and broke my leg, and I'm now calling you from the ER."

Finn jolted upwards, flinging his duvet away as his bounced out of bed. "Oh god Rach, I'm so sorry, I'll be there in ten."

Rachel giggled, which made Finn's face crinkle in confusion. "I'm at home Finn, perfectly healthy and capable of using all my limbs."

"What the hell? That was mean, and I'm going back to bed-"

"Finn wait!" A noise very close to a growl rumbled from Finn's throat. "I'm sorry, that was rather careless of me. I just wish you would wake up earlier! I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks."

Finn frowned. "Hey, I'm not that old."

"I know, it's just a turn of phrase. Anyway, I have a proposition for you."

Finn could hear the excitement in Rachel's voice, though he was sure that he could also sense a little doubt. "Rach, you better get to the point because I'm not sure how long I can stay awake for."

"You can't see me right now, but I'm sticking my tongue out at you."

"Mature."

"As always. As I was trying to say..." Finn could hear some kind of shuffling noise; what did she have to be nervous about?

"You're not cheating on me are you?" he ventured.

Rachel responded with an indignant splutter. "Finn!"

He rubbed his eyes to try and rid himself of his sleepiness. "Rachel, just spit it out-"

"Do you want to stay at mine tonight?" Finn dropped his cell at the embarrassment in Rachel's voice and the pure suggestion of- God, had he heard her right? He hurried to find his phone that had fallen into a mess of unwashed shirts and discarded text books. "Finn? A-are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here, but barely." His face had become flushed at the thoughts that were running through his mind, so much so that he wasn't really sure how to respond.

"My dads are going to see some distant relative and they're staying away for the night and since I'm not exactly old enough to stay in the house alone they said that I could invite a friend over to keep me company and since they didn't expressly say no boys allowed I thought that you might want to come round for the day and then sleep over but I don't want you to think that I'm just inviting you round for sex or something because that would be incredibly presumptuous since we've only been dating for a couple of days though if it leads to that then that's okay as long as it's okay with you..."

Finn shook his head a few times to make sure everything had gone in properly (she talked way too fast at the best of times, so it was even harder to keep up with her when he was half asleep). She'd mentioned sex, and had said that she was okay with that...

"You are Rachel Berry, right, and not some body-stealing alien dude?"

A faint, nervous chuckle confirmed her identity. "I'm sorry, I was really worried about asking you."

"You thought I'd say no to a full day and night in your presence? I think we need a reality check here."

"No, it's not that. I didn't want to be, well, too clingy and overbearing..." The honesty and pain in her voice killed Finn. He remembered all too clearly that their last attempt at dating had been an absolute disaster, and he understood where her apprehensions came from; if he hadn't been so utterly obsessed with her, he probably would have felt smothered.

"Rachel, I love you, and I'd love to come round. What time are your dads leaving?"

"They've just left." He could hear her smiling while she talked. Suddenly, waking up at the crack of dawn didn't seem like such a bad thing after all.

"Is there anything you want me to bring?"

"Your appetite and your smile; I have everything else here."

He laughed as his stomach rumbled on cue. "Can do. See you soon Rach."

"Bye Finn."

Finn fell back against his pillow, all exhaustion gone from his system. He was staying over at Rachel's, they were finally a couple, and she was happy to sleep with him... Despite the lameness of his actions, Finn pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. A sore arm later, he realised that he was finally being dealt a good hand in life. Now all he had to worry about was the fact that he'd lied about being a virgin...

Shit.

**Glee!**

Rachel closed her eyes as she bid goodbye to Finn. She couldn't believe that she'd _actually_ gone through with it. She'd thought about just inviting him round for lunch or something, but having realised that her dads were very rarely away, she knew that she needed to take advantage of that in a way that Rachel Berry wouldn't normally dream of. Part of it was due to her experiences with Jesse (she shuddered at how close they'd come to sleeping together), and part of it was due to the fact that she was new to all of this, and she didn't want to embarrass herself.

But Finn was in the same boat as her, and thankfully, he'd never actually slept with Quinn (she still wasn't _quite_ sure what had happened there, but that was to ponder over another time). They were both new to... sex (cringe cringe cringe!), so at least they could learn everything together.

Anyway, this was purely speculative. She had the whole day ahead of her, and heck, she wasn't even sure that Finn would want to sleep with her anyway (okay, he was a boy, so that probably meant he wanted to). No, she'd focus on keeping him entertained in other ways, because if they couldn't last a day without wanting to kill each other, a weeklong vacation was going to be a challenge.

With a sudden burst of excitement and focus, Rachel made sure that she looked presentable. She'd learnt from past experiences that Finn wasn't into over the top glamour, so bearing that in mind, she'd chosen one of her less exuberant jumpers (it was pale green with a unicorn on, and one of Rachel's favourites) to match her plain black skirt. Her hair hung loosely on her shoulders as always, and with a touch of perfume, Rachel was ready to greet Finn, whenever he could be bothered to show up.

To override her nerves (that seemed to be steadily increasing with every minute), Rachel dedicated her time to choosing some suitable movies for the two of them to watch. It had been harder than she'd thought since her collection mostly consisted of musicals and old-time classics, and Finn preferred zombie movies and general gore. As a compromise, Rachel had chosen Spider-Man, because it contained enough violence to keep Finn happy, and secretly, she loved anything to do with superheroes. Hoping that she could also coerce him into watching something a little more girly, she'd also picked out 10 Things I Hate About You_, _which she often enjoyed alone with a box of tissues and a big bowl of popcorn.

Someone pressed against the doorbell, and Rachel felt her heartbeat fluctuate between 'I'm going to stop with the pressure' to 'Oh my gosh I think I'm going to burst!'. It was only Finn Hudson, the guy she'd been in love with for the past year, the guy who'd pursued her for so long, the guy that was going to be spending the night...

_Focus Rachel, you aren't a slave to your hormones. It's just like any other completely normal day._

She nodded at her mental resolve, and with a deep, dramatic breath, Rachel walked slowly down the stairs, smiling widely as she saw Finn's huge figure through the mottled glass of the front door. She fumbled with the lock (it was dead-locked many times over to stop murderers from striking during her morning exercises), and as she took another large breath, she opened the door to Finn, who looked just as nervous as her, if that was even possible.

"Hey," he breathed, a faint blush of pink lining the top of his cheekbones.

Rachel licked her lips unconsciously. "Hey."

For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other, lost in the awkward, yet completely comfortable silence that had engulfed them. It wasn't often that Rachel was lost for words, but as she gazed into Finn's beaming face, she was sure that she'd forgotten the basics of the English language.

"Sooo, can I come in?"

Rachel snapped out of her daze and nodded eagerly, taking Finn's hand to pull him inside. "You were quick. I half expected you to go to sleep for a few hours more."

Finn's fingers squeezed Rachel's, which made her smile to herself. "I was up, you know, so I thought I'd come over as soon as I was ready. Besides, I have plenty of time to sleep after today."

Rachel continued to lead him through the house, even though he'd visited a few times before.

"I'm assuming that you haven't had breakfast?" She turned to face Finn, who looked a little bashful as his other hand rubbed the back of his neck.

"Must have forgotten about that."

Rachel let go of Finn's hand to rest both of hers on her hips. "Finn, I've already told you about this. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It sets you up for everything else you're going to do, and studies have shown that those who don't eat breakfast are more likely to gain weight due to unhealthy snacking."

Finn shrugged, disregarding everything she'd just said. "I'm normally up too late to eat breakfast, and cereal just doesn't really do it for me."

Rachel shook her head in disappointment, though didn't say anything else. She'd already prepared for this because she could read Finn like a book (albeit a very endearing and beautiful book). Therefore, all of the ingredients needed were set out neatly in the kitchen, where she'd finally managed to direct him. As she began to get to work on the best pancakes she could muster, Finn stood awkwardly in the doorway, his hands in his pockets to keep them occupied.

For a while, Finn found nothing interesting in watching a silent Rachel who was fiddling around with cooking utensils and raw food (he'd seen his mom do it so many times, and really, what was good about food apart from eating it?). But once he took the time to actually _watch_ her, he realised how graceful she was. She made mixing flour extremely interesting, and man, when she started beating the eggs, her body shook slightly in time with her movements, and it took all of Finn's strength not to whimper (not that he had ever whimpered before in his life). He didn't usually pay attention to the little things like that, and made a mental note to study Rachel a lot more.

"Wow Rach, something smells good," he finally managed to croak. The stove was a little tall for her, which meant that she had to stand on the tips of her toes, and that made her jumper ride up slightly and-

_Get a hold of yourself! She's only making goddamn pancakes._

Rachel flipped a pancake carefully with her spatula, seasoned it with something or another (whatever it was, it was making Finn's mouth water), then carefully moved it onto a small china plate.

"Take a seat Finn and I'll bring everything over for you."

Finn was more than happy to oblige. Once he was comfy, his eyes widened at the sight before him. "What's in it?" he asked in awe.

Rachel grinned, happy he was impressed. "Blueberries and a few special ingredients. Can I get you a drink of anything? Maybe some milk?"

Finn nodded numbly as he took his very first bite. The pancake seemed to melt in his mouth, whilst the blueberries were juicy and fresh. Whatever the hell she'd put in, it certainly hit the spot. Usually, Finn was prone to swallowing his food in one gulp, but this was too good to rush; he needed to appreciate it for as long as possible.

"Rachel, you are the best cook ever. This is the nicest pancake in existence." He took a swig of cool milk that had appeared beside him, and when he felt he could look away from his breakfast, he noticed a strange expression on Rachel's face. She wasn't looking at him, but rather at the pancake with some sense of longing.

"Glad you like it," she whispered.

Finn inwardly groaned. "You're kind of ruining the moment," he teased. He used one hand to scoop up another bite of heaven, whilst the other gently pushed back a strand of Rachel's hair.

"How do you mean?"

Finn shrugged. "Have you had breakfast? You look famished, or at least jealous. We can share if you want." Reluctantly, he pushed his plate towards Rachel, who seemed to wince and whine at the same time.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. Just enjoy your breakfast because I really want to kiss you once you're done." As if she'd just told him the weather forecast, Rachel gave an overly innocent smile before heading to the living room, adding an extra shake in her step for good measure.

That was all the incentive Finn needed. As good as the food was, his lips preferred Rachel to pancakes. He swallowed the rest in one bite (it was a good thing Rachel wasn't watching), gulped down the milk (ignoring the cold pain in his teeth), then practically sprinted into the living room, jumping down onto the couch with as much enthusiasm he could muster early on a Sunday morning.

Despite the fact that Rachel was already licking her lips and preparing to pucker up, Finn decided to take the time to really look at her again. Had she ever worn that jumper before? He wasn't sure, but he knew that green was definitely her colour. Her eyes, though already half closed, seemed to contain an extra twinkle, and with a warm sensation in his stomach, Finn realised that was because of him. He'd seen a tiny spark in her eyes the day he'd sung 'Jessie's Girl', and as time had gone by, that spark had developed into a full blown shine (he knew he sounded like a pansy-assed wimp, but Rachel made him feel sort of poetic and crap... in a good way).

Finn leaned in carefully, making sure he didn't squash her. God, had she always been so tiny? His lips were like a magnet to hers, and once he felt her soft skin under his, he knew it would take a lot to separate them. His hands, giant compared to Rachel's dainty ones, cupped the sides of her face, serving as a reminder that she wasn't allowed to leave.

They'd made out a few times since they'd started dating, and Finn had since become very skilled at keeping himself physically calm. In fact, he hadn't had to conjure up the mailman for months, which he took as a sign of his new found maturity.

As Rachel's lips massaged his, he was sure he still had sugar round his mouth. Without breaking away from her, Finn attempted to lick his lips clean, but he hadn't anticipated how difficult it would be when Rachel was pressed up against him. Clumsily, his tongue tickled her lower lip, and suddenly, everything changed. Finn had vowed to be gentle with Rachel, and was never very adventurous when kissing her (not that he was an expert anyway). Therefore, the tongue contact was new, and as he accidentally swept it across her skin, Rachel made a noise in the pit of her throat that was a mixture of a growl and a groan, and Finn lost it. Everything became more frantic and more heated, and both sets of hands began to explore eagerly, brushing against hair and skin and shirts and skirts. It was hard to know where Rachel stopped and Finn began, and hidden underneath the moans and giggles (Rachel was having a hard time keeping a straight face), Finn felt the familiar feeling creeping up in the torrent of activity. As Rachel's hand brushed innocently against his thigh, Finn was forced to remember the man who crashed into his windscreen. He pulled away with a muffled curse, not wanting to see Rachel's reaction, though he needn't have worried. Before he could scramble to the bathroom, she shuffled underneath his arm, resting her head against his heaving chest.

"I didn't mean to push you too far Finn. I just got lost in the moment, and I made some very embarrassing noises that I regret already." She hid her face in his shirt, breathing in the familiar scent of her boyfriend (it felt so good to call him that!) whilst listening to the erratic rhythm of his heart. She could have started purring as Finn ran his fingers through her hair, though that would only increase her shame (she didn't realise she was capable of such animalistic noises).

"God Rach, you've gotta stop with this attitude."

She lifted her head up in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He lowered his face to her forehead, and with an over exaggerated, sloppy kiss on her skin, he managed a crooked smile. "You don't have to tiptoe around me. You have no idea how amazing that just was." Rachel's cheeks turned an incredible red, which only widened Finn's smile. "The best part is that we have the whole of the summer to practice and, you know, stuff."

Rachel laughed as she hugged him tighter. "I feel like I'm going to melt into a puddle here and now."

Finn snorted. "You better not, otherwise your dads are going to kill me."

She laughed again, which was music to Finn's ears. "Fair enough. Anyway, what did you want to do? I have a few movies lined up for later, but since it's only..." Rachel squinted to get a better look at the kitchen clock. "...seven forty eight in the morning, I thought you might want to do something else first."

"What kind of movies?" asked Finn apprehensively. He knew that Rachel had an eclectic taste in movies (he'd heard her use that word before), and he wasn't sure he could stay awake through some lousy musical.

"Well, I thought you might want to watch Spider-Man_?_" Rachel lifted her head up to gauge Finn's reaction; she took the relieved smile as a yes.

"Cool choice. Can we watch it now? I like the bit where-"

Rachel mmmed and aaahed where appropriate, though ashamedly, she wasn't listening to anything Finn was saying. It wasn't even eight o'clock, yet she was pretty sure that this was one of the best days she'd had so far, and because she was too busy savouring every moment, she missed what he was actually talking about.

"And remember when he turns down MJ because he's worried she'll be in danger? That proves that he's a true hero. I see where he's coming from, but I don't think I'd be able to give up my soul mate just like that. Who would wake me up and make me breakfast then? Well, apart from my mom..."

Rachel felt like someone had just thrown a slushie at her face (she had enough experience to remember the feeling). She wriggled out of Finn's grasp, her mouth wide open, her eyes shimmering with emotion. "What did you just say?"

Finn looked terrified, worried he'd just insulted her in a way he hadn't realised. "I, uh... I don't remember word for word..." His scrunched his eyes up as he hit himself on the head. "God, what did I say? I didn't mean to insult you by comparing you to MJ. Yeah, she's pretty in an obvious kind of way but in the third film she's extremely whiny and mopey and when she sings she's nowhere near as amazing as you though I think she's miming to someone's voice anyway..." He trailed off as he realised his was rambling. He couldn't judge Rachel's expression; she looked like she was going to cry, though he didn't know if she was upset or elated.

"You think I'm your soul mate?"

Ohhh, NOW he got it! He rubbed his neck in embarrassment (he'd started doing that a lot recently) as he tried to think of something to defend what he'd just said. He didn't want to overwhelm her or frighten her off, and by calling her his soul mate, it was possible that he'd just signed his own death sentence. "Well yeah, but I didn't mean to like, scare you..."

Rachel's lip wobbled. "You didn't scare me Finn. It's very reassuring to know that you care for me as much as I care for you." She smiled as a memory appeared in her head. "I don't know how to say this, but you touched something in me." She placed her hand on the right side of her chest with a tiny smirk. "Right here."

Finn groaned as he flopped against the couch. "Come on Rach, you don't have to remind me of how much of an ass I was to you."

She huffed slightly at his self-pity. "Actually, your line is 'Your heart is on the other side of your chest'." He shook his head; he was not gonna do this. Not only did it highlight his stupidity, but the original situation had followed with him kissing her before leaving to be with his girlfriend, and he hated the very memory of it all. However, as Rachel's face fell, he felt an insane need to please her, something which he was sure would become a recurring feeling.

"Fine, have it your way. You're spoilt, you know that right?" She nodded and smiled, her hand still over the wrong side of her chest. Carefully, Finn lifted it and placed it over the left hand side. "Your heart is on the other side of your chest."

"Oh. It's beating really hard."

Finn stared at Rachel, and Rachel stared at Finn. When it came down to it, it didn't matter so much about their past blips and mistakes. Despite the consequences of that moment, Finn had felt something for Rachel that day, and ever since then, he'd been heading down the Rachel Berry road, which had never, ever been a bad thing. "Let's watch Spider-Man," she announced out of the blue.

Finn nodded eagerly. "Sure, sounds great."

**A/N: **Man, I really need to snap out of my Finchel obsession. The plan was to focus on all the characters equally, but I just think of these little scenarios involving Finn and Rachel and I can't help myself. The next chapter will also be about my two favourite characters (simply to look at the rest of their day together), but after that, I promise that I'll ignore them and focus on everyone else. I also haven't forgotten that this fic is supposed to be about a vacation, but that will be very shortly too xD Man, I really do take my time, but please bear with me, and thank you muchly to those amazing people who light up my life with their reviews. I hope you enjoy this pointless fluff!


	7. Chapter 7

Finn and Rachel watched Spider-Man in almost total silence. Both were engrossed in the story, and if it were possible, were also worried of saying the wrong thing. All Finn could think about (apart from radioactive spiders) was all the shitty things he'd done to Rachel in the past; the picnic had just been the first of many. He'd flirted with her when he was with Quinn, he tricked her into rejoining glee club by taking her bowling and returning her kiss (not to mention his shameful suggestion of going somewhere quiet together), but worst of all, when he'd finally got the thing he'd wanted so badly, he acted like a complete jerk-off. How had he ever thought double dating Brittany and Santana had been a good idea?

God, Santana. Why had he ever thought _that_ was a good idea? It was jealousy all right, but jealous people were supposed to just grin and bear it, not lose their virginity to a random girl to feel better. In one sense, he was glad that he hadn't enjoyed it, because he had no feelings for Santana whatsoever, but unfortunately it still happened, and that was something he had to tell Rachel... he just couldn't face losing her again.

One of the worst things about it, Finn concluded, was knowing that despite all his mistakes, Rachel would just smile it all off. It made him extremely pissed because she made such a big deal about him, and he was an ass, plain and simple. His hand, which had unconsciously been wrapped around Rachel's for the duration of the movie, tightened in frustration. He was never going to be good enough for her.

Rachel, on the other hand, was only concerned with one thing, and that thing was going to happen very soon. For anyone that knew her, it came as no surprise that she was overdramatic. This was partly due to her very loving, over the top parents, but it was also due to her love of anything romantic. The movie industry created a fictional representation of affection and with every kiss and heartbreak, Rachel found herself wishing for her own fairytale happiness.

By some miracle, she had gotten her wish. Finn was imperfect in so many ways, and though he wasn't the typical Prince Charming, he was still the person that loved Rachel unconditionally.

But she still wasn't happy. Ever since she'd first watched Spider-Man (it had been her dad's choice), she'd dreamt of having her own upside-down kiss (though the mask was optional). For her, it defined romantic gestures, and Romeo's suicide seemed tame in comparison. Therefore, as the story got closer and closer to the part that made her eyes shimmer and her heart ache, Rachel wasn't sure if she could watch. If she told Finn about her ultimate dream kiss, she knew there were two possible outcomes. The first would be that Finn would say yes, because he loved all of her, including her silly little fantasies. The second would be that Finn would laugh hysterically at her before running as fast as he could; this scared her more than she wanted to admit.

No, she'd just have to forget it; kissing upside-down was probably uncomfortable and impractical anyway. She returned Finn's suddenly tight grip, and putting on a brave face, she simply stared at the TV screen, determined not to take in the next scene.

Finn hadn't watched the movie in a while, but as MJ headed down a dark alley in the rain, and some guys began to wolf whistle and follow, he knew what was coming, and he found that he felt unbelievably sick. It wasn't so much the character that he cared for (she was too much of a damsel in distress for his liking), but the idea of a bunch of bastards going after an unarmed girl did angry things to his stomach. It wasn't hard to imagine Rachel in her place, and despite the fact that it was all fictional, Finn felt like he needed to punch the crap out of someone. He didn't want to dwell on Rachel's vulnerability, but as she tensed up and looked away, he felt the overwhelming urge to wrap her up in a blanket and keep her away from all the horrific things in life. He wasn't sure when he'd become so paranoid or well, heroic, but silently, he made a promise to keep her safe whenever possible.

Peter Parker ran towards the assholes just in time, and without realising he'd been holding his breath, Finn sighed with relief.

"Thank God for that," he breathed. Rachel still didn't look at the screen, and Finn tried desperately not to stare at Kirsten Dunst's boobs, despite the fact that her dress was practically transparent with the rain and she wasn't wearing a bra and- "Rach, you can look now, Spidey saved the day again." He forced his gaze down to Rachel's face, which had taken on an uncharacteristic shade of white.

"Oh good, I uh, I forgot how scary this movie can be." She looked half-heartedly back at the TV, where MJ was thanking Spider-Man for rescuing her, and he was hanging upside-down. Oh no no no _no_ here it comes here it comes here it comes-

They kissed. They kissed in the most romantic way possible, and unfortunately for Rachel, it wasn't just a quick peck, but a full blown smooch, and she felt as if time stood still and the clock didn't seem to move and she was sure that she'd stopped breathing and was sure that Finn had stopped breathing and her heart wouldn't stop racing and...

Then they broke apart to Rachel's utter relief.

Finn let out a low whistle. "Man, we have so gotta try that sometime! Though I don't think I can hang upside-down from the ceiling."

Rachel gawped at Finn with relief, admiration and a sudden wave of desire. With a wry, graceful pounce, her lips met Finn's for the second time that morning, and to neither one's displeasure, they missed the rest of the movie.

**Glee!**

It was ten o'clock by the time the movie had finished. The credits began to roll, but Rachel was much too comfy to stop the DVD; Finn's chest made the perfect cushion, and she couldn't get enough of the melodic sound of his breathing.

"I like that movie more when I'm watching it with you," he finally said. Though she was silent, Finn could feel Rachel giggling against his chest. "Can I ask you something Rach?"

"Of course."

"What are you afraid of?"

His question obviously caught her by surprise, because she began to wriggle uncomfortably. "What makes you ask that?" she diverted.

"Well, I know there aren't actual Green Goblins out there, but there are even scarier things, like-" He furrowed his brow. "No, wait, this is supposed to be about you. I'll tell you what I'm frightened of if you tell me about you."

Rachel decided, with a sigh, to pull herself out of Finn's protective grasp so that she could turn off the television, while also getting a good view of Finn's face. It was strange that his face was the most welcoming thing most of the time, yet in situations like these, she found it hard to look straight at him, since she was sure that his gaze was going to melt her into a gooey puddle of obsession. It was probably something to do with the way his eyes seemed to look straight through her, bypassing the fake smiles and hidden tears to find how she was truly feeling.

"I don't know if I want to tell you," she admitted softly, forcing her gaze to his hands rather than his face.

"You frightened I'll use it against you or something?"

She smiled at him instinctively; she appreciated his joking manner, because she knew that if he'd acted defensively, she would have refused to open up. "See, I never even considered that. Now I can't tell you for sure."

"I'm frightened of really obvious things," Finn began, ignoring the way Rachel's face lit up with gratitude (if he concentrated on that, he'd be staring for hours). "I'm frightened that I may never get a proper job and that I'll be stuck here forever. I'm frightened that I might have one of those unexplainable heart attacks in the middle of the night and die. I'm frightened that..." He took a deep breath; even the possibility was extremely scary. "...that my mom will die, and that you'll get hurt, or..."

Rachel shook her head. "You don't need to worry about those things now Finn." She brushed her fingers along his arm, trying desperately to hold in a sudden onslaught of tears.

"But my worst fear of all is that you'll wake up one day... maybe tomorrow, maybe in a years' time, maybe in ten years' time, and you'll realise that I'm just a dumb guy, and that there are millions of better people out there for you."

Rachel felt her throat catch as Finn's words became choked; he reminded her of their song to Mr Schue that felt so long ago, when Finn had almost cried as he regarded their teacher as a father.

"Finn-"

"And I'm also frightened of people dressed in creepy kids' costumes. I had a pretty bad experience with one when I was younger."

Rachel cried and laughed at the same time. "You're so adorable, but there goes my suggestion of dressing up as clowns for Halloween." Finn shuddered at the image (there was no way he would forced into that stupid makeup), but felt pleased that Rachel seemed a little happier; she wiped a single tear from her cheek.

"Anyway, that's me," he said pointlessly.

Rachel nodded, as if answering a silent question.

"When I said that I don't want to tell you, please don't think it's personal. It's just..." Rachel hid her face in her hands. "It's just ridiculous! It's an irrational fear that I should have overcome years ago."

Finn snorted with laughter (a little too loudly). "Rachel, all fears are ridiculous."

Rachel moved her hands away to glare at him. "Oh thanks Finn, that makes me feel _so_ much better about myself."

He rolled his eyes. "Just hear me out! All fears are ridiculous because they make us feel scared and vulnerable. Like, it's ridiculous that people are scared of spiders because most of them aren't poisonous, or how people are frightened of water when we need it to stay alive, or how certain people are frightened of strangers dressed up as cats..." Finn trailed off for a moment. "I didn't tell you that it was a cat, did I? I should have lied and said something a little more terrifying."

Rachel managed to smile now. "I hear bunny rabbits are absolutely menacing." Finn shook his head in embarrassment. "Thank you Finn. Considering you call yourself dumb, you're a lot wiser than you give yourself credit for." Rachel savoured the smile of embarrassment that appeared on Finn's face; it made her believe that she could tell him her fears too. "Okay, before I begin, I just want to make it clear that although my fear is impractical and pointless, there is a valid reason for my current mental state, so please don't judge me too harshly."

Finn snorted again. "Rachel, I'm not gonna 'judge you too harshly'." He said the last four words in a bored voice, and though it made Rachel a little self conscious, his wink put her ease (though it made her stomach do flips).

"When I was five, my dads took me to a theme park. The name of said theme park has since been erased from my memory because I refused to let it haunt me, and because I didn't need the added temptation of suing them for what happened."

Finn furrowed his brow. "You would have sued them when you were five?"

Rachel shrugged. "I was very aware of the way the world worked back then."

Somehow, Finn had no trouble picturing a tiny Rachel quoting legislation to some high up executive, and just decided to go with her story. "Sorry, I won't interrupt again."

"I should hope not." Her returning wink said otherwise. "Anyway, said theme park had many different attractions, including a zoo and a... a..." Rachel gulped, preparing herself for Finn to mock her. "A 'Jurassic trail through time'. I was so excited about that part since I wanted to learn all about the different types of d-d-dinosaur."

Finn waited for the punch line, but then he noticed the way Rachel's hands shook, and the way her eyes widened at the memory, and he realised that she was actually scared of-

"Dinosaurs?"

Rachel nodded grimly. "My dads were close behind as I ran ahead, reading all about the different species, and what I'd failed to realise was that they had animatronic models of the featured d-dinosaurs. A velociraptor jumped out at me, and though it was only supposed to dart out a little, the whole thing ended up falling on me, and it was incredibly heavy and its mouth wouldn't stop making chewing motions, and I was stuck under this terrifying robot that was very close to biting my leg off, and it took too long for the maintenance staff to get me out, and by the time they freed me, I'd suffered a minor panic attack and various bruises by velociraptor." Rachel's lip wobbled as he calmed herself down. "I know it's completely insane because I'm not going to bump into a triceratops when I go out, but I can't watch Jurassic Park without crying, and I just hate anything to do with dinosaurs." Rachel still expected Finn to laugh, but he looked like he was going to smother her in a sympathetic embrace more than anything.

"That's not ridiculous at all."

Rachel's heart began to beat erratically. "I'm also frightened of losing my voice, losing my parents, and losing you."

Finn gave a crooked grin of appreciation, though he had to look away because he felt a little embarrassed. God, he couldn't believe the day had come when he was talking about his feelings with a girl (a smokin' hot girl nonetheless).

"Thank you for sharing that with me. Next time I see a T-Rex I'm gonna beat the hell out of it just for you."

And here commenced romantic kiss number three.

**Glee!**

Before either of them knew it, it was quarter past twelve, as kindly reminded by Finn's high maintenance stomach. For over two hours, they'd simply talked about anything and everything (which included puppies, death rays and frilly leather pants), which sounded boring, yet neither of them had been happier. Rachel couldn't remember a time when they'd been able to talk so comfortably in each other's presence, and obviously, that wasn't a bad thing.

"Sorry if this is really rude, but what are we doing for lunch? The pancake didn't last long enough." As if to reiterate, Finn's stomach grumbled in protest.

"Of course it's not rude. I invited you round, so that means I'm your hostess for the day. Come on, let's see what we can do." Rachel pulled Finn to the kitchen by his hand, simply because she liked the constant contact (and Finn couldn't complain). He was forced to let go when she started rummaging through the numerous cupboards and shelves, and instead made do with listening to her talking to herself about recipes and cooking times.

"If it's too much trouble, I can stick with toast."

Rachel made an indignant noise as she faced him. "Finn, I can do better than _toast_. How about a homemade pizza?" She looked in one of the cupboards again before consulting the fridge. "Well, mostly homemade. We have the base and sauces all ready to go."

Finn nodded eagerly; he'd been expecting some crazy vegan crap. Huh, Rachel was vegan... was she allowed to eat pizza? It would soon have cheese on, and depending on the topping... Yup, she'd just removed a packet of pepperoni from the fridge. Still, Rachel obviously knew her diet better than he did, so Finn decided to keep his mouth shut (apart from when he was drooling over the food).

"Do you need a hand?" he asked apprehensively. He wasn't a great cook, but he figured that pizzas were simple enough to make.

"Sure! Do you want to spread the tomato sauce onto the base? Just grab a knife from the third drawer down and go wild." Rachel bit her lip. "Actually, don't go too wild, I'll have to clean up before tomorrow."

Finn pulled a face, and she pulled one back whilst grating the cheese. "Like this?" he asked. Rachel peered over his shoulder and gave a satisfied sound of approval.

"Wow, I think we've found you another calling Mr Hudson." Rachel gently sprinkled the cheese onto the surprisingly flat surface of Finn's handiwork, and then dropped a few slices of pepperoni on top.

"Right, that needs to cook for about twenty minutes," she announced as she adjusted the oven's temperature and placed their creation inside.

"Hey Rach, can I ask you something?"

She smiled and nodded. "Déjà vu. Last time you said that I ended up telling you my horror story." Finn didn't smile; he just looked confused. "Déjà vu is where you feel like you've already been in a certain situation before, or that you've heard something before."

"Oh yeah, I know what you mean." Finn glanced at the empty pepperoni packet that Rachel had yet to dispose of. "You're a vegan, right?" He'd expected her to laugh with a nod or something, but in reality, she avoided his gaze awkwardly.

"Uh huh."

"I know I'm stupid, but-"

"Finn." Rachel had her scolding voice on. "You're not stupid in the least."

"Then why do you treat me like I am? I don't know everything about veganism or whatever it is, but I know they you don't eat meat, which is what you're about to do."

Rachel opened her mouth once or twice like a gold fish. "Actually, I was just going to take the pepperoni off-"

"But what about the cheese? That has milk in."

Rachel lowered her head in defeat. Finn wasn't sure why he was getting so worked up about it, but why was she lying? It was only food, but she obviously had some secret she wasn't going to divulge.

"You're right," she moaned. "I'm the world's worst vegan!" She threw her hands in the air to emphasise her point (it instead put a smile on Finn's face, because he loved how much of a drama queen she was). "You're just not going to like what I'm going to say next."

Finn raised an eyebrow. "Rach, it's only food-"

"It started with Jesse." Oh, well, that was the reason why he wouldn't like it, as demonstrated by the way his hands curled into tense fists, and the way his jaw clenched and unclenched with frustration. When Rachel said his name, it only reminded Finn further that he still needed to punch that kid in the mouth (or kick him in the nuts, whichever worked best).

"The little shit-bag."

Rachel scowled. "Language Finn! Though I agree with you on that point. Anyway, before we started dating, I'd been toying with the idea of becoming a vegetarian, though I wasn't sure I could do it alone. When Jesse asked me to be his girlfriend," Rachel felt incredibly cruel telling Finn this story, because she knew that he'd wanted to be with her at the same time, "he asked me what my diet was like."

Finn's jaw fell open. "Why the hell did he ask you that? I swear, if he thought you were fat I'm gonna kill the bastard."

Rachel was too busy savouring Finn's concern to scold him for his cursing. "I don't know, but he then told me he was a vegan, and to try and impress him, I told him I was one too." She smiled sadly. "Since then, I've been trying my hardest to stay away from meat, dairy and animal derivates, but it's been much harder on my own. Besides," she frowned angrily at the fridge in some kind of memory, "Jesse lied that day. He'd had a bet on with one of his Vocal Adrenaline friends that he could get me to do whatever he wanted." Finn wanted to ask how she knew this, but his teeth were clenched too tightly together. "Anyway, I've realised that I don't want to be a vegan anymore because it's such a difficult and awkward thing, but if I give up now, it'll feel like I'm a failure."

"Rachel, it's just food-"

"I know!" she mumbled. "Do you know how hard it was to watch you eat pancakes with milk? If I didn't have such brilliant self control, I would have snatched it from your plate without a second thought."

Finn managed a laugh. "Huh, well, do you like me more than you liked Jesse?"

Rachel looked at Finn dumbfounded, but he wasn't joking. "Finn, that is the most ridiculous-"

"Do you?"

She folded her arms irately. "Of course I do. Jesse's nothing compared to you."

Finn took a few confident strides towards the fridge, opened the door, and then retrieved the milk. After fishing through so many cupboards, he found a glass, and didn't hesitate to pour the milk into it, despite the gasp that came from Rachel's mouth.

"If I asked you to, would you be a non-vegan again, for me?" He held the glass of milk in front of her face, watching as her eyes widened with surprise and need.

"Finn-"

"Just think of the cool sensation of the milk running down your throat, and then-" Rachel pulled the glass from Finn's hand, and in one breath, drank the whole lot. She licked her lips to remove the white traces of her crime, but not before Finn initiated kiss number four.

**Glee! **

Finn and Rachel enjoyed their pizza, though Rachel took a while deciding if she could bear eating meat again (with a little persuasion from Finn, she gobbled it down like a lunatic). Again, the two of them sat talking for a while, and Finn was even treated to an impromptu rendition of some Disney song that made him feel like a girl, though surprisingly not in a bad way (not that he'd ever admit it).

And then commenced kiss number five, but as soon as it began, Finn realised that this one was different. The other four times, he'd known that nothing was going to come of it (apart from an embarrassing need to pull away, which Rachel had the courtesy not to question). No, on their fifth encounter, something had changed, and Rachel's whole demeanour had suddenly become less innocent and more-

Oh God, she had _definitely_ just rubbed her hand against his groin, and that was very counterproductive to what he was trying to avoid. Finn tried to stop himself from thinking (he didn't usually have a problem with that), and instead decided to just embrace the fact that Rachel was doing very new, hot things to him, and that her kisses felt as if his lips were on fire. Though his hand shook with nerves, he grazed it along her bare skin, up her leg, under her skirt, and as she squirmed with excitement and need, Finn wasn't sure how much longer he could hold out for-

"Rachel sweetie, are you in?"

Well, that was one way to kill the mood. Rachel jumped like she'd been electrocuted, and Finn pulled his hand away from her so fast that he ended up hitting himself in the head.

"Y-y-yes daddy, I'm in the living room with a f-f-friend." Finn rubbed his forehead and moaned to himself whilst Rachel hurried to brush down her skirt, attempting to look inconspicuous. Her dad was the first to enter, and with a small gasp, he called for his husband. Rachel's daddy ran to join him, a flash of surprise appearing on his face.

"Rachel Barbra Berry!" Rachel could feel herself sinking into the sofa at the disappointment in her dad's voice. "What is going on here?"

Finn took the initiative to save Rachel the shame. He stood up quickly (causing an unneeded head rush) and thrust out a shaking, clammy hand to one of Rachel's dads (he wasn't exactly sure which was which). "Hi Mr and Mr Berry, I'm Finn Hudson, and I'm in glee club with your daughter."

One of her dads looked angry, and didn't take his hand, but the other shook it with a little hesitation. "So you're Finn? We've heard so much about you that I was sure you were living in Rachel's wardrobe."

Finn managed to crack a smile, though his heart was beating a mile a minute. "Me and Rachel were just practising some songs and we ate pizza and watched Spider-Man and that's it Mr Berry I swear it is!"

Rachel watched as her daddy gave a little laugh, though her dad didn't look amused. "Well, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Our overnight trip has been cancelled, so you can go home now." Rachel groaned inwardly as Finn hurried to retrieve his jacket.

"It was nice to meet you Finn," said Rachel's daddy.

Finn nodded. "Same here Mr Berry. Bye." Finn was out the door before Rachel had time to register what had happened.

She glared at her dad as she folded her arms. "Dad, that was really rude!"

He made a humph noise before leaving to make some tea, while her daddy decided to sit next to her. "He can come round for dinner this week before you go on vacation if you'd like. Your dad's just frustrated that he won't be going to see Henry after all."

Rachel smiled and hugged her daddy. "Thank you." Her phone buzzed beside her. With a quick pleading glance to her daddy, he nodded, smiled, then joined his husband in the kitchen.

"_Man, srry bout rushin out like that! I had tons of fun Rach. I miss u already" _

Rachel felt a wide grin spread across her face. "_So did I Finn. Maybe next time? I miss you too. Rachel x"_

**A/N: **After watching Toy Story 3 and crying like a baby, and after watching the episode Journey to Regionals for the seventh time (I kid you not), I felt very emotional, and decided what the hell, let's have lots and lots of fluff! I was very overwhelmed by the response I got on my last chapter; it seems that everyone loves Finchel, which is great :) Don't worry, I won't be ignoring them for long. The next chapter will be focusing on everyone else (including Santana, who lots of people want to know about), but from them on I'll focus mainly on Finn and Rachel. Thank you immensely for the wonderful support. I honestly can't thank you all enough.


	8. Chapter 8

**Monday - 7 days until the glee vacation  
7.32am**

Rachel couldn't wait for the vacation to arrive. The more she thought about it, the better it would be. Even if she fell out with _everyone_ in glee, she'd still have Finn, and she'd be only across the hall from him on a night... It was enough to make her sigh in happiness, which elicited a few odd looks from her dads, though she couldn't see them through the hazy image of her and Finn relaxing on the beach at midnight, holding hands, kissing bare skin, making noises that she hadn't thought herself possible of-

"Rachel, unless you can tell me what you're thinking about right now, I think we might have to take you to see a psychiatrist." Rachel, bewildered, looked towards her dad. "This is the third time this morning that you've zoned out of the conversation. Is something wrong?"

She hurried down a cold mouthful of oatmeal, winced a little at the taste, then shook her head with a slightly shy smile. "I'm sorry, I'm just really excited about the glee vacation and seeing Finn." She snapped her mouth shut. Finn hadn't cropped up since their awkward predicament at the weekend, and by the tiny snort that came from her dad's nose, Rachel knew that he wasn't pleased about their relationship (he'd gone absolutely _berserk_ about Jesse).

"Invite him round for dinner tomorrow night, and then we can get to know him properly. Maybe we can persuade him to sing a song or too. Don't you remember how good he was at Regionals?" Rachel's daddy referred this question to her dad, who gave a reluctant nod.

"I must admit, he does have talent. Fine, let him come round, and we can interrogate him when he comes."

Rachel wasn't sure whether she was going to laugh or cry.

**Tuesday - 6 days until the glee vacation  
9.16pm**

Finn didn't hear his mom ask how the evening went because his head was buzzing like a swarm of overexcited bees. He'd actually survived the Berry meal, and even better than that, he'd had a hell of a time. Granted, he'd actually thrown up before he'd arrived at Rachel's house (he had been ten times more nervous than when he'd met the Fabrays), but after presenting Rachel with some kind of flower (his mom had picked it out) and Mr and Mr Berry with some chocolates and homemade cookies (again courtesy of his awesome mom), everyone loosened up. Before he knew it, he and Rachel were performing Faithfully over a bowl of roast potatoes, much to her dads' delight. Finn didn't try too hard to be someone he wasn't, and with the occasional leg bump of encouragement from Rachel, he found it easy to relax in the family's presence.

The only slight blip in the otherwise rockin' night was when Finn let slip the L word. Obviously, Rachel already knew that he loved her, but for her unsuspecting dads who still thought she was too young to be dating, it came as a tremendous shock. Both Finn and Rachel waited with bated breath as her dad's face seemed to blow up like a balloon, and when he opened his mouth, Finn was sure that he was going to breathe fire.

"I can tell by the way you talk that this is true love. I'm glad you're happy Rachel."

At the sound of near tears in her dad's voice, Rachel blushed from head to toe, and the subject was changed.

So yeah, when Finn got home, filled to the brim with roast beef and compliments, he didn't have time to tell his mom about it. Instead, he grabbed his phone, and once he was slumped across his bed, he fiddled with the keys that were too tiny for his large fingers.

_"Does that mean i've passed the dad test?"_

It took Rachel less than ten seconds to reply._ "It does, and I knew you would. They adored you, but not as much as I do. Rachel x"_

Finn grinned goofily, thankful no one could see him._ "Only 6 days till i have u all to myself. Cant wait, love u"_

His phone buzzed again._ "Me neither. I love you too Finn. Rachel x"_

Nope, Finn couldn't wait at _all_.

**Wednesday - 5 days until the glee vacation  
10.37pm**

"For fuck's sake Quinn, you're unbelievable. I can't put up with this shit anymore. I'm going so I can do whatever the hell I like."

Quinn felt like she'd been verbally thrown from Puck's truck, though he obviously had some decency left as he dropped her outside her house. Things had been going reasonably well since school had finished, but in one swift moment, it was possible that they'd both blown it.

Of all places, it had started at Breadstix, which was all Puck could afford. The food had been bland but edible, the music had been boring but bearable, and the conversation had been minimal but enjoyable. Quinn liked being able to sit opposite her official boyfriend, because until now, they'd had so many obstacles in their way. With his newly shaven head (Quinn preferred Puck with no mohawk, so he'd gotten rid of the new growing fuzz) and his trademark smirk, Quinn couldn't get enough of him.

But apparently, Quinn wasn't enough for Puck. A few tables back sat some scantily dressed girl who couldn't resist winking and smiling at Quinn's boyfriend. Though she had her back to said girl, Quinn didn't miss the way Puck's eyes would flit towards the other table, or the way his eyelid would twitch, as if resisting the urge to wink.

"Puck, can you stop that please?" Quinn turned round to get a good look at the stranger, whose outfit looked like something she'd borrowed from her Barbie doll. "Look at her, wearing that in public."

Puck snorted. "It's a shame you don't wear anything apart from old lady clothes. Maybe you could make an effort next time."

Quinn was usually an emotionally strong person. She could handle insults because she was used to dealing them out to others, but in her current state, she was more self conscious about her body than anything.

"I've only just given birth you ungrateful asshole." She'd expected some kind of struggle. She was all too aware of Puck's inability to commit, but she'd made herself believe that she could work with it. Knowing that their relationship was going to be hard work, Quinn resisted the urge to throw her limp salad at Puck's head, and instead, nibbled reluctantly on a lettuce leaf. She prayed that he'd drop it, because she really wasn't in the mood for a full-on fight in the restaurant.

"Whatever. I never see you doing anything about it." He avoided Quinn's furious gaze, preferring to have it out with his tough steak instead.

"Oh yes, because I should definitely exercise more in front of you, what was I thinking?" Quinn's voice was getting higher in pitch, which Puck knew from experience meant that she was about to throw a grade five tantrum. "I mean, who doesn't like to show off their new stomach fat while they're sweating like a pig? That's such a turn on for men." Quinn shoved a huge forkful of salad into her mouth to stop her need to scream.

"Woah, chill, stop being so bitchy," mumbled Puck, though he instantly knew he'd said the wrong thing. Quinn's eyes narrowed as her cheeks turned red with rage. She swallowed her food uncomfortably, gripped the side of the table with both hands, and then licked her lips.

"Take me home Noah."

Puck scowled; God, he _hated_ it when she called him that! "Hell no, you don't boss me around!"

Quinn inclined her head. "Fine, I'll walk home in the dark you jerk. If I happen to get murdered on the way, I want it to be on your conscience." Quinn grabbed her purse, glared as spitefully as possible at the almost-naked girl, and flounced towards the exit, not bothering to look over her shoulder. Good luck to Puck if he thought she would forgive him at the drop of a hat.

"Wait, shit, Quinn, come back." The two left the restaurant together, though the hostility around them would have killed any normal human being. They got in Puck's truck in silence, and during the painful drive home, no one said a thing, until he pulled up outside Quinn's house.

"Once you apologise, we can go back to normal."

Puck looked over at Quinn, dumbfounded. "What the hell are you talking about now?"

She sniffed indignantly. "I'm really conscious about my weight, and you were clearly ogling that slut all night long. Just apologise, and-"

Puck slammed his fists into the steering wheel, causing the horn to blare down the street. A few curtains twitched as residents looked to see who was making fuss so late at night. "For fuck's sake Quinn, you're unbelievable. I can't put up with this shit anymore. I'm going so I can do whatever the hell I like."

He didn't force her out (despite how much he wanted to), and instead waited until Quinn was standing on the sidewalk, surprise and fury mixed with fear on her features. Without regret, Puck sped away, barely missing the post box as he left.

**Wednesday - 5 days until the glee vacation  
11.48pm**

Puck decided to crash early (well, early for him since he spent most nights shooting the hell out of enemy troops). He had a lot on his mind, and Quinn didn't know the half of it.

"Damn bitch," he muttered under his breath as he stared at the dark ceiling. He hadn't meant to go crazy at her, but today being 'The Day', he'd had a hard time keeping his eyes to himself. It was an old habit that he was trying to break because he sure as hell knew that he only wanted Quinn, but with everything he was dealing with, and with a hot blonde wearing nothing more than underwear, he couldn't help himself. He hadn't meant to insult her weight or whatever because he knew how long it took to shift baby weight (he'd heard his mom complain that she couldn't get rid of hers, and she'd had it for years), but something had just snapped inside of him, and before he knew it, he was back home, alone, knowing that Quinn probably hated him.

There wasn't much he could do about it anymore. He figured he'd smooth things over tomorrow, and instead concentrated on keeping his eyes shut; an early-ish night would probably be a good thing.

Then he heard it. The house was extremely quiet, and in the darkness, he could make out the sound of buzzing. He held his breath, making sure that he wasn't imagining it. The noise was like the sound of a faraway aeroplane, and man, it was so goddamn _annoying_! It was probably only a fly or something, and Puck was definitely not scared of bugs, but as the sound got louder, he found himself irrationally annoyed. Why the hell was it so loud? He remained motionless, listening to the noise to try and locate the thing, but when it suddenly became a lot louder, and he felt something land on his ear, he jumped up in frustration and switched on the light. There was no way that he was gonna let the damn thing suck his blood, so with a rolled up Playboy in his hand, he searched high and low for the pest.

He finally found it, ten minutes later, sitting on top of the lamp shade; it looked like some kind of mosquito thing. Puck wafted it away with the magazine, and when it landed on the wall, he whacked it as hard as he could. Positive that he'd got the bastard, he got back into bed, annoyed for the interruption. His eyes closed as his head touched the pillow, but one thing stopped him from dreaming about chicks; a low buzzing noise. Again, the noise got louder, and in the faint light coming from the window, Puck could see the bug hovering near his head. He turned the light on again, but by time he'd grabbed his fly swatter, the damn thing had disappeared.

**Thursday - 4 days until the glee vacation  
12:26am**

Puck was sitting on the end of his bed, his eyes crazed and his hand crushing the magazine in his grasp. It was getting beyond a joke, and every time he tried to focus, his tired subconscious began to hear the buzzing when it wasn't really there. After several failed attempts of squashing the bug, he hadn't seen it since, though he could damn well hear it. When he realised just how frustrated he had become, he grabbed his pillow and duvet with an exasperated grunt, and dragged his bedding downstairs. The couch in the living room was small and uncomfortable, but he didn't have any other choice. He set his things out, tried to get comfy on the chair, and stared into the beautiful silence. Before he finally went to sleep, he sent a text to Quinn, because it was Thursday, and he was sick of being a jerk.

_"Sorry for bein an ass. Yesterdy was the aniversary of wen my dad left us."_ Five minutes later, his phone beeped.

_"When I come round tomorrow you can tell me all about it x"_

**Thursday - 4 days until the glee vacation  
9:00am**

Kurt was used to early mornings. When he'd found that he couldn't fit in his moisturising routine in simply an hour before school, he'd had to accommodate to his needs. Therefore, nine o'clock in the morning was early afternoon to him, so he couldn't understand the look of unabashed horror on Tina's face as he stood at her door, holding a gift of hot coffee in his hand.

"Kurt? Has s-s-s-someone..." It wasn't a stutter, but an exhausted yawn, which Kurt rolled his eyes at. "...died? Why are you here so early?"

"Tina, we're usually in school right now, so you can't call it early."

She looked taken aback. "But we're not at school!" She looked down at her unflattering pyjamas that were covered in tiny, smiling sheep. "Pretend you didn't see me like this."

He smirked as he nodded. "Drink this, it'll wake you right up. I want you down and ready in fifteen minutes, or I'm going to have to come and dress you myself."

Tina laughed, but judging by Kurt's expression, he wasn't joking. "Okay, okay, I'm up." She turned to go back inside, but with a start, returned her gaze to Kurt. "Wait, why are you here again?"

Kurt smiled liked he'd just been nominated for an Emmy. "We, my dear Tina, are going clothes shopping for our vacation! Hurry it up, we have to go and wake Artie."

**Thursday - 4 days until the glee vacation  
9:31am**

Artie sat in the front of Kurt's chair, staring uncomfortably out the window. He hadn't been too happy about being woken so early either, especially since Kurt wouldn't take no for an answer (he'd said that using his disability as an excuse was ridiculous, and that nothing would stop him from helping him pick out some proper clothes). With Tina's help (which had been mortifying in itself), Artie had managed to get out of his chair into the front passenger seat, though he hated Kurt seeing him so vulnerable.

Kurt was oblivious to the ill feelings towards him. He knew that he was providing a service by helping Tina and Artie with their clothes despite their reluctance to try something, well, _fashionable_ for a change. Yes, Artie's protests regarding his disability were a little disheartening, but they'd gottent him in okay, and he knew, by the end of the day, that the two people sat in his car would thank Kurt forever and ever for his help.

**Thursday - 4 days until the glee vacation  
9:57am**

"Rise and shine campers, we're here!"

Tina hadn't realised that she'd fallen asleep in the back of Kurt's car, or that she'd been drooling on his leather seats.

"Tina, would you help me get out please?" asked Artie quietly. He wanted to do it by himself, but Kurt's car was so huge that he would most definitely fall flat on his face in the process, and he certainly didn't need that kind of embarrassment.

"Sure." Tina hopped out, opened Artie's door, then awkwardly attempted to lower him into his chair. He wasn't extremely heavy, but Tina wasn't exactly made of muscle either. He dropped into his seat with a bit of a bump, but apart from that, he was okay.

"Thank you, and in case we don't come out of this alive, it was nice knowing you."

Tina giggled, but as Kurt came to see what was taking so long, she shut her mouth and turned a funny shade of white.

"Well, what are you two waiting for? We'll browse through the essentials first, such as bathing suits, formal wear, sporting outfits, casual clothes..." The list seemed to go on forever, and by the time Kurt was done, Artie was on the brink of falling asleep again. "First stop, Target!"

**Thursday - 4 days until the glee vacation  
12:31pm**

"So many swimsuits... I swear, the next one I see I'm going to rip apart with my bare hands."

Artie patted Tina's hand sympathetically. "Where did you leave him?"

She smiled deviously. "In the bridal department. Last I saw of him, he was talking about china patterns and pure white doves."

Tina and Artie chuckled together at the idea of Kurt planning his future wedding. "I must admit, despite the fact I've never feared shopping before, Kurt's helped me pick out some pretty decent things, and he reminded me to pick up a few items that I would have forgotten all about." Artie rummaged through one of his many bags. "I mean, what would I have done without this?" He produced a rubber duck from the bag; it was wearing a cowboy hat.

"Artie, why did you get that?" giggled Tina hysterically.

"It's a rubber duck... with a cowboy hat! I think that says it all!" Their laughter was cut short as a red-faced Kurt stormed towards them. "Uh oh, time to initiate defence sequence number three!" whispered Artie. Tina managed to stop a smile from pulling at her lips.

"What happened Kurt?" she asked.

Kurt huffed to himself as he made sure his hair was in the same position he'd styled it in that morning. "I was looking through the lingerie section because I thought that you might need a new pair of provocative panties," he began, much to Tina's utmost embarrassment, "when the pushy sales woman came over and-" He huffed again. Artie couldn't help but think that Kurt looked like a tomato that was going to burst. "She asked me where my parents were because she said I was too young to browse in that department."

Kurt had been humiliated. He hated people thinking he looked so young; when would he get to the stage when people stopped saying 'Awh, you're so fresh faced and childlike', when he was fifty? He'd politely corrected the assistant, but since he had no ID on him (did you really have to be a certain age to browse through the underwear section?), she'd had to escort him from the shop (and he hadn't even had time to suggest a nice set of lingerie to Tina).

"Come on, let's go drown our sorrows with a big bucket of fried chicken."

**Thursday - 4 days until the glee vacation  
4:02pm**

"Thank you so much for inviting us all today Kurt! I actually had loads of fun, and now I have nearly everything sorted for next week."

Kurt smiled smugly over at Tina, who had jumped into the front seat once Artie had been dropped off. "No problem. I should be thanking you."

Tina frowned. "Why's that?"

"You let me choose new outfits for you with almost no fuss, and I really enjoyed it too."

She smiled and kissed his cheek before she let herself out of the car. "See you next week!"

Kurt waved Tina away as she hurried to her house, no less than fifteen bags hanging heavily from her hands. Yes, Kurt had enjoyed it, though he'd spent less than he would have liked. Now that he had saved Artie and Tina's wardrobe, he knew what his next mission would be; Finn Hudson, the guy who only ever wore stripes.

**Friday - 3 days until the glee vacation  
5:45pm**

"So honey, how's Santana?"

Brittany was sitting at the table with her parents and sister, quietly enjoying a meal of chicken with steamed vegetables (since school was out, she could finally eat real food again).

"I don't know," she said truthfully to her mom, who was slowly nibbling at her food.

"You don't know? I thought you two were joined at the hip or something," interjected her dad. "She's going on this vacation thing isn't she?"

Brittany pulled a face. "I think so. And I haven't really talked to her since she said she was too ill to see a movie. Should I go round and see her?"

Her mom shook her head violently. "No you shouldn't. The last thing you want is to be sick when you're going away. You won't enjoy it half as much."

Brittany nodded. "That makes sense. After dinner, can we watch Finding Nemo_?_"

**Saturday - 2 days until the glee vacation  
11:12am**

Mercedes sat staring at her cell phone, wondering if she should just do it. Ever since she'd made a vow to get to know Matt and Mike, she hadn't spoken to them once. Since then, she'd been trying to think of ways in which she could talk to them (she'd thought about 'accidentally' calling them both, apologising for disturbing them, then proceeding to chat, but it sounded dumber when she tried to practice what she had to say), and the only thing she could think of was inviting them to go see a movie. She closed her eyes, pressed the call button, then waited for Mike to pick up... or Matt, she couldn't remember whose number she'd looked up.

"Hello?" Mercedes thought about it for a moment. She was pretty sure that was Matt...

"Hey," she looked at the screen quickly; it was Matt after all. "Matt, it's Mercedes!"

"Oh... hey." Cue awkward silence.

"Look , I was wondering if you and Mike wanted to come and see a movie today? I don't actually know what's showing, so you could choose?" She was very aware that she sounded nervous and uncomfortable, but Matt didn't call her out on it.

"Er, sure, I'll have to see if Mike is free. I'll call you back, okay?" The phone went dead, and Mercedes let out a huge sigh. If it was this hard to say something on the phone, then what were they going to be like face to face? She thought about inviting Kurt along, but she knew that would only encourage her to ignore the people she was trying to get to know.

Her phone belted out Respect, and the caller ID identified Matt. Here goes nothing...

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Matt."

"Oh, hey there." Mercedes cringed at the cheery fakeness of her voice.

"Me and Mike are up for seeing a film. Is Eclipse okay with you?"

Mercedes' eyes widened in disbelief. "You mean the vampire movie?" She heard an honest, real life laugh come from the other end of the phone (she'd never heard Matt laugh before) and found herself smiling in response..

"I'm only joking. They're holding a special viewing of The Fellowship of the Ring_. _Wanna see that?"

"S-sure, that sounds good. What time shall we meet up?"

Matt sounded like he was typing on a keyboard. "The movie's on at 12:15. Can you make it for then?"

Mercedes glanced at her watch; she had plenty of time to get ready. "Sure thing, see you soon!" She hung up on him, then stared at her phone in shock. This might not be so hard after all.

**Saturday - 2 days until the glee vacation  
4:44pm**

"That was amazing!" gushed Mercedes, while Mike and Matt looked smugly at each other.

"How have you never seen The Lord of the Ringstrilogy before?" asked Mike with confusion in his voice.

"Nope. I dunno, fantasy things aren't really my... well, thing," she laughed.

Matt shook his head. "Mercedes, you haven't lived till you've watched all of the movies." The three of them left the movie theatre as they slowly headed towards the nearest bus stop.

"You know, I wouldn't have thought you two were into that sort of stuff either."

Mike raised an eyebrow as he laughed. "Really? I guess we don't really talk about ourselves enough." Mercedes silently agreed.

"They're showing the second and third instalments tomorrow. Wanna go see them too?" Matt looked truthfully eager about being in Mercedes company, which made her feel much more at ease.

"I'd love to. I'll do my packing tonight so that I'm free. God, this is all so exciting!"

As the unlikely friends talked about orcs and goblins and hobbits, each of them had a feeling that this new found friendship could be something amazing.

**Sunday - 1 day until the glee vacation  
9:43am**

Emma had been up since seven because she couldn't stop worrying. In fact, she'd spent the whole week worrying, ever since Will had asked her to join him (_them_, it wasn't just him) on vacation. She had honestly meant to call him back as soon as possible, but the more she thought about it, the less sure she was about everything. She wanted to go, she did, but she wasn't sure that sent out the right message (and she wasn't _quite_ sure she knew what the right message was).

But if she didn't go, then all twelve of the glee kids couldn't go, and twelve was more than one. If she didn't go, she'd be making herself happy, but the kids would be devastated. If she did go, she might not enjoy it, but twelve people would love it.

It was simple maths. Twelve was more than one, and Emma always had to do what was best for other people. Besides, it just made sense...

**Sunday - 1 day until the glee vacation  
9:56am**

Didn't it? Oh gosh, but what if it didn't? Maybe she was supposed to stand up for herself, just like Sue had told her before her world had fallen apart. Maybe by going, she was telling Will that she was a pushover, and she certainly didn't want that. No, she wouldn't go; she had to be selfish for a change.

**Sunday - 1 day until the glee vacation  
10:08am**

She was going to go. Being selfish was fine in practice, but she couldn't bear to think that the glee kids would be missing out because of her (she'd received the video of their Regionals performance yesterday, and cried like a baby when she watched them come third). It was only a week, and she could deal with Will accordingly.

**Sunday - 1 day until the glee vacation  
10:21am**

Emma didn't have the guts to call him. She wanted to go, but it was probably too late to tell him now, because he would have booked the vacation for a certain amount of people, and it would cause all kinds of havoc if she decided to tag along. No, she wouldn't ring him. It would be pointless, wouldn't it?

**Sunday - 1 day until the glee vacation  
10:26am**

The phone started ringing. The receiver was sweaty with her grip (she refused to think about the germs associated with that) because she really had _no_ idea what she was going to say if Will answered the phone. Hopefully he'd be still asleep, and then she wouldn't have to deal with any of the trauma that was involved.

"Hello?" said a sleepy voice that made Emma almost drop the receiver.

"He-hey Will, it's Emma."

"Emma! I wasn't sure I was ever going to hear from you again!"

She winced; he'd certainly woken up in the few seconds she'd be listening. "No need to be over the top Will," she insisted. This was such a bad idea! She should never have called!

"Sorry, I'm just, wow, really happy to hear from you." She could hear his smile from the way that he talked, which was very counter-productive when she was about to say no... wait, she was going to say yes, right? No, only if there was room, which there probably wouldn't be. Gosh, she hated the way Will could make everything turn upside down in the blink of an eye.

"About the vacation..."

"Yeah, I was hoping you were calling about that. Did you want to come?"

Darn, there went her only excuse. "Ar-are you sure it's not too late? I left it a while, which I'm sorry about-"

"No, no, don't worry, I booked the beach house as a whole, so it doesn't matter about exact numbers. Emma, this is so great! The kids will be so happy!"

Emma frowned. He'd booked the house as a whole, even though she hadn't said she was going? He was either an extreme risk taker, or he didn't need her to go...

"I'm glad. Look, Will, I'm worried it'll be awkward between us." She gripped the phone even harder. "I want to make it clear that I'm going for the glee kids, not for anything between us, okay?"

"I totally understand. Can you come round to mine for about half past eight? The kids will be arriving at nine, and I need help to sort a few things out. I'll be driving a rental bus up there, and everything is paid for."

Emma took a deep breath. She wanted to say that she was looking forward to it (she'd packed her bags last night just in case). She wanted to say that she wanted to make amends. She wanted to say 'I love you too Will'.

"Okay then. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"See you Emma, and thanks again."

She hung up with a tiny smile.

**Sunday - 1 day until the glee vacation  
8:00am**

Santana wasn't used to being in her room for such long periods of time. She'd always been the type of girl who was out in the big bad world, amusing herself with anything and everything so that she didn't have to return home. Having being stuck inside for so long, she feared she was going crazy.

On day eight of her grounded summer, she'd decided to do something productive (as opposed to crying and sleeping for the other seven). She needed something to distract herself from the fact that the glee club were leaving the day after, and since she no longer had access to her computer, she pulled out a piece of paper from one of her exercise books.

Santana stared down at the blank paper. She wasn't really sure where to start, but she knew it was something that had to be done.

_Dear Quinn,_

She looked at her former friend's name that was written in her unkempt scrawl. If she had the courage to go through with her first letter, she was sure that she could follow through with her plan.

_Dear Quinn,_

_I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the way I've acted for the past couple of years. We used to be best friends, and I'm sorry that we drifted apart. I'm also sorry for the numerous times that I've tried to steal Puck away from you. I know you're not completely innocent either, but I could have been a hell of a lot nicer to you._

Santana wrote a full page to Quinn. She placed it in a labelled envelope before pulling out another piece of paper.

**Sunday - 1 day until the glee vacation  
9:00am**

_Dear Puck,_

**Sunday - 1 day until the glee vacation  
10:00am**

_Dear Rachel,_

**Sunday - 1 day until the glee vacation  
11:00am**

_Dear Mercedes,_

**Sunday - 1 day until the glee vacation  
4:00pm**

Santana lost track of the time that day. Her hand ached from all the letters she'd written (one to each member of glee, and countless others to people she'd somehow wronged in the past), but she still had one more to go. She rubbed her eyes to try and rid herself of exhaustion as she put her pen to the paper again.

_Dear mom and dad,_

_I want to say sorry for all of the things that have made you disappointed in me. I'm not sure when I became someone that you hated, and I am truly sorry for continuing to behave like that. Life is a series of mistakes, and I think I've committed one too many._

_Dad, I'll start with you first. I'm sorry that I never take the time to talk with you anymore. I know that your job is demanding and that your working hours can be awkward, but I promise to spend more time with you in the future. I have friends who don't have their dads, and they'd kill to have someone like you in their lives. I love you dad, I hope you still know that._

_Mom, I think I owe you the biggest apology because I've been horrible to you at times. You've always just wanted what's best for me, and I've abused your trust too many times. I really appreciate everything you've done for me, and I'm sorry that you feel that you're unhappy because of me. I'd never forgive myself if you and dad split because of my actions._

_I know that one little letter can't make everything perfect again, but I'm going to try and mend the harm that I've caused. I love you both so much._

_Santana_

Her confident, cocky attitude had disappeared when she'd been practically locked in her room. Sure, the letters didn't sound anything like her, and most of them were painfully short, despite the time she put into them, but at least she'd done it. She was going to post them (she'd thought about just keeping them, but that would be pointless), and she hoped that the recipients would be grateful for some kind of apology.

She put the last letter into an envelope, wrote her mom and dad's name on the front, then left it on her desk. She would place it somewhere later so that she wouldn't have to confront them directly. She wasn't exactly sure where, but...

**Sunday - 1 day until the glee vacation  
4:29pm**

Santana's mother called for her daughter numerous times (the phone had been calling for her for five minutes), but with no reply, she'd been forced to go to her room herself, despite still feeling a lot of hostility.

"Santana, for goodness sake I-" Mrs Lopez opened Santana's door to find her slumped on her desk, asleep already. She looked at her watch and huffed at the time, though when she saw her name on an envelope, just beside her daughter's face, her curiosity got the better of her. She carefully picked the letter up, while also accidentally retrieving another document. She frowned as she scanned the information. The glee club that Santana had mentioned were going on vacation... tomorrow. She slipped the piece of paper into her pocket, and without waking Santana, she left her room, the envelope in her grasp.

**Monday - Glee vacation begins!  
7:04am**

Santana woke with a start as her mom knocked quietly on the door. Her neck ached like crazy, her hair was in dire need of a wash, and she was still wearing yesterday's clothes.

"Come in," she yawned, wincing as her arm made a cracking noise with a stretch. Her mom entered the room with a tiny smile, and weirdly, she didn't look angry (that had been her only look for the week).

"I read your letter."Santana felt her blood run cold. She looked down at the place where she'd left it, and realised that her mom must have been snooping around in her room. "You need to get ready and packed," she continued.

Santana furrowed her brow. "Mom?"

Her mother smiled hesitantly, as if she was unsure of what she was supposed to do next. "You have to be at Mr Schuester's for nine o'clock. If you need anything, I'll run down to the store before you go."

Santana's eyes widened before they began to fill with grateful tears. "I'm allowed to go?"

Her mom nodded her head as she too began to tear up. "We've both made mistakes in the past, so we _both_ need to work together to make things right. Go, you deserve this. I'll make you some breakfast." Her mom hurried out of her room before she broke down, leaving a very grateful Santana to weep on her bed. She couldn't wait to see everyone again, even Rachel.

**A/N: **Thank you so much for the reviews on my last chapter! Gosh, you have no idea how happy that made me :) I know this didn't contain much Finchel, but it will do soon so don't worry about that. Just as a random fact, Puck's ordeal with the mosquito happened to me two nights ago. I did not sleep well at all xD


	9. Chapter 9

Today was the day. Across Lima, alarms began to blare and ring and sing and shout as eleven students and two teachers welcomed the occasion with open, sleepy arms (Santana didn't know she was going, otherwise she would have done the same). It was a historic day in one sense, because who would have believed that such a group of diverse people would get along so well? The term 'polar opposite' could have been created for them, because each character was so wildly different from the next, and it was this that made them special (though not special in a condescending kind of way, they were passed those kind of insults).

Rachel Berry was the first to wake enthusiastically at 6:00am.

Kurt Hummel woke with a smile at 6:15am.

Will Schuester forced himself to get up at 6:30am.

Mercedes Jones was woken by a phone call from Kurt at 6:45am.

Emma Pillsbury dashed straight to her shower as she woke at 7:00am.

Mike Chang jumped out of bed at 7:15am.

Matt Rutherford fell out of bed at 7:30am.

Quinn Fabray woke to the sound of her radio at 7:45am.

Brittany (who couldn't remember her last name so early in the morning) sang along with her Disney alarm clock at 8:00am.

Artie Abrams' mom hurried to wake him at 8:15am.

Tina Cohen-Chang received a flustered call from Artie at 8:30am.

Noah Puckerman growled with annoyance as he realised his alarm hadn't worked at 8:45am.

When everyone had arrived at Mr Schue's for 9:00am, Finn Hudson was still fast asleep, oblivious to the fact that everyone was waiting for him. His phone buzzed non-stop, but since he'd forgotten to take it off of silent mode, he didn't stir (if it helped, he was at least dreaming about the glee club, though it was unlikely that Mr Schue had turned into a chicken that could bust a move).

_Half an hour earlier_

The cab pulled up outside Will's apartment at 8:28am with Emma Pillsbury sitting nervously inside. A lifetime ago, visiting Will had been the definition of a perfect scenario, but not for the first time, Emma was now sure that she was making a mistake.

"Six dollars lady," announced the cab driver, breaking the silence that had hung in the air since Emma had arrived.

"Here you go, thanks so much," she managed to squeak as she handed the driver his fare.

"Do you need help with your bags?"

She was about to say yes until she saw a very familiar figure running towards the car. "No, I'll be okay thank you."

Emma stepped out of the car and gave a timid wave to Will, who wore the biggest smile imaginable. "Let me give you a hand with your luggage."

Emma appreciated his eagerness, but she remained focused; it was about the kids, not him. "Are you excited Will?" she asked as he pulled her heavy suitcase from the trunk of the car (Emma looked away when his shirt rode up to reveal his very muscular body).

"You have no idea, especially since-" They both knew what he was going to say, but instead, Will picked up the smaller of Emma's things and closed the trunk before patting the roof of the car. The cab drove away, leaving Will and Emma standing awkwardly beside each other, both wanting to say something, yet neither having the courage.

"I'll carry my small one at least," Emma finally said as she picked up her backpack.

"Jeez Emma, I told you that we're only going for the week, right?" He laughed as he struggled with the large suitcase, trying to find the easiest way to carry it. Emma had intended to pack lightly, but on Sunday night, she'd panicked, and had decided to bring most of her wardrobe just in case (and there was no way that she could forget all of her various soaps and sanitizers).

"Yes, sorry about that, it's better to be safe than sorry."

With a lot of effort, Will and Emma managed to drag her things upstairs (though knowing that they'd have to cart them back down again later, Will felt his legs ache with the effort).

"Well, we've got half an hour before the kids arrive, so I thought that maybe I could run through everything with you?"

Emma nodded shyly as Will took a seat on the sofa. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been here since she'd tried to forget about their failed relationship.

"Th-that'll be good." She reluctantly sat beside him, her eyes drawn to his hands rather than his face (she needed to make sure that she wasn't hypnotised by his dashing good looks).

"Okay, so, as I said before, we're staying in a beach house up at Lake Erie. There's plenty of room for all of us." Will failed to mention that their room only had a single bed; they'd cross that hurdle when they got to it.

"How could you afford it all Will? I was looking at some websites the other night and it's not cheap up there."

Will gave a little wink as he grinned. "Well, as it happens, the one we're staying in is quite isolated compared to all the other accommodation. Apparently, people haven't been all too eager to stay in the middle of nowhere, and since the owners' were getting a little worried, they offered a huge discount if we went there rather than another house."

Emma frowned. "But what about Artie? Surely it'll be harder for him to get around?"

Will shook his head. "I've made sure that he'll be okay. Though it's isolated, all we have to do is walk down a path for about twenty minutes, so we're not just running around on bare sand. Besides, I've hired the bus for the week, so if anyone's feeling lazy, we can drive wherever we need to be."

Emma made a noise of admiration. "Well, that sounds great. Do you have an itinerary at all?"

"Not really. I think we'll just play it by ear."

Emma wasn't sure she liked the spontaneity of the forthcoming week; she liked to know what she was doing and when, though it was a vacation, so she had to stop being so paranoid.

"Erm, there was something else I was going to ask, but..." She couldn't remember. She should have made a list of the things she needed to know, but obviously it wasn't that- Oh gosh, now she remembered; how could she forget? "Bathrooms!" she squeaked, which made the side of Will's mouth rise in a half smile. "Please tell me that I won't have to share with the boys Will."

"Don't worry Emma, I've got that covered. There's one large bathroom for everyone's use, which includes a bath and shower, and there are two smaller ones, so I promise you can take first pick." Emma sighed with relief. The idea of sharing a sink with sixteen year old males did horrible things to her stomach, despite the therapy she'd been attending for so long.

The warm touch of Will's hand on hers snapped Emma from her thoughts as her eyes widened. "I know you're going to enjoy this week so much." She was about to say something (though she was pretty sure that her tongue was refusing to co-operate) when an enthusiastic knock ruined the moment. Will glanced at his watch and laughed to himself.

"Who is it?" Emma managed to ask.

"I don't know, but this is typical. When it's Spanish class they have to get to, most of the kids are late. When we're going on vacation, they're way too early." Will headed towards the door, and with a deep breath, opened it to reveal Kurt and Mercedes, both of whom wore huge grins on their faces.

"Morning Mr Schuuuue!" sang Mercedes.

"Sorry we're early Mr Schue, but we hoped you wouldn't mind if we dropped round before nine."

Will smiled as he laughed. "You don't need to apologise Kurt. It's better that you're early than late. Come on in and let me help you with... your... bags..."As Kurt and Mercedes walked happily inside, Will stared, speechless, at the mound of bags and belongings that the two had left behind. Well, it was safe to say that he'd be getting a good work out this morning.

"Hey Miss P! I didn't realise you were coming!" Mercedes hugged Emma, who looked a little startled, though she still returned the gesture.

"Yes, Mr Schuester needed another adult to act as a chaperone, so I thought I'd tag along."

Kurt shook Emma's hand with a smile. "That's a brilliant idea. Now it means it won't be incredibly awkward when he has to hang around with us all." They all glanced towards the door, where Will was nearly flat out with exhaustion, the bags stacked up against the wall.

"It's a good job I hired the bus... You all might have to walk there so I can get your luggage on."

Mercedes smiled with embarrassment, though Kurt just looked perplexed. "Mr Schue, surely you have at least four bags of possessions that you'll be bringing? We _are_ going for a week, and especially since Miss Pillsbury will be there, you'll need to make an effort. You wear too many bland shirts." Emma turned pink while she pretended to be interested in Mercedes' necklace, and Will simply looked aghast; had he packed too little?

"You think my shirts are bland?"

There was another knock on the door. Will opened it to be greeted with a dazzling smile from Rachel, who also seemed to have brought her life's possessions with her. "Good morning Mr Schuester! I hope you don't mind that I'm a tad early? I simply couldn't hang around at home with my dads constantly checking that I would be okay. I told them that I trusted your guidance and supervision, but I think they're just a little nervous that I'm going away with so many boys. Morning fellow glee clubbers!"

Will stepped out of the way so that Rachel could join Kurt and Mercedes, and groaned out loud when he noticed how many bags Rachel had actually brought.

"Where's Finn?" asked Rachel as she squashed up beside Mercedes.

Kurt shrugged in boredom. "You know what that boy is like; he doesn't rise until it's nearly time to go back to bed. I was planning to wake him, but since I went over to Mercedes' earlier than planned, I didn't have the pleasure of hearing his tired mumblings."

Rachel felt her heart sink a little. She'd been hoping that he would have already arrived, but knowing that he wouldn't be long, she felt excitement bubbling in her chest.

"Are things good between you and Finn, Rachel?" asked Emma. She wouldn't usually have been so nosy, but she knew that she'd have to try and fit in with the glee kids while they were away, and being sociable was the first step forward.

"They're better than good, they're perfect," gushed Rachel, which elicited a roll of the eyes by Kurt.

"Mr Schue, do you want some help? You look like you're struggling."

Will shook his head at Mercedes. "I'm... almost... there..." He carried Rachel's last bag in and was about to sit down for a minute when another knock made him throw his head back and sigh.

"Morning Mr Schuester!"

"Hey Quinn, come on in."

Quinn Fabray walked into the apartment with surprisingly little in the way of luggage. In fact, she only had a small handbag that hung daintily on her arm. "Is that all you've brought? Thank goodness, I was expecting a-"

"Puck, Mike and Matt are downstairs trying to carry it all," she said cheerily whilst waving at Mercedes. "I'm pretty sure I saw Artie and Tina pull up too." Will decided to leave the boys to it; they were probably stronger than him anyway.

"Morning Quinn! Are you psyched?" Mercedes stood to hug her new found friend. As Rachel looked on, she realised how much the kids in glee had changed. Who would have thought the ex-head Cheerio and the loud, proud black girl would have become such close friends? In a way, she felt jealous, because despite becoming a slightly better person over the last year, Rachel still didn't have a real best friend (unless she counted Finn, but she preferred to label him as her soul mate).

"I'm totally psyched, though Puck's in a bit of a foul mood this morning..."

"For god's sake woman, what the hell do you have in these bags?" came Puck's growl as he entered the apartment with Mike and Matt, his hands full with luggage. "I swear, if it's not filled with tight bikinis and underwear I'm gonna be pissed."

A murmur of laughter ran around the room as the three boys made themselves at home. Will had disappeared to help Artie make his way up, and on the way back, he ran into Brittany, who had somehow made it to his apartment on her own (though she had nothing with her at all).

"Where's Santana?" asked Mike, to which Brittany gave a confused shrug.

"I think she must be dying because I haven't spoken to her in ages, and she didn't even want to go and see Toy Story 3."

Will said nothing, but felt suddenly sorry for Brittany. Already, even though a few people were missing, the kids of glee had sat themselves in their usually places; Mercedes and Kurt were chatting away about something (though it was probably fashion by the way Kurt's eyes had lit up), Quinn was planting a kiss on Puck's cheek (much to his enjoyment), Mike and Matt were laughing, and Rachel was sitting on her own, though the space next to her would soon be filled by Finn. As Tina and Artie joined the group, Will realised that Brittany would be on her own for the vacation, which was something he'd have to change.

It was 8:55am as someone else knocked on the door. Both Rachel and Brittany looked up with excitement, which made Will feel even worse (not that it was his fault, but still, he was a caring guy). He struggled through the mounds of luggage, opened the door, then gasped at who was stood there.

"Morning Mr Schuester. I hope it's okay that I'm here?" Santana stood awkwardly in front of Will, clutching a suitcase while a few more stood behind her.

"I thought you weren't able to make it?" he said, aghast.

She forced a smile. "My mom had a change of heart. Can I still-"

"Of course, of course, this is great news!" Will looked apprehensively at all of the luggage that Santana had brought with her.

"Don't worry, it's not all mine. I called round to Brittany's because I knew she'd forget to bring it."

Will laughed, but was interrupted by an impromptu hug. Santana wasn't usually a hugging sort of person, but she was thankful for Mr Schue's concern (more than he knew). It was over in less than three seconds, but she hoped that he at least appreciated the gesture.

"San, you have the same bags as me!" squealed Brittany as she ran at her friend.

"Britt, these are yours. You forgot to bring them."

The blonde looked a little confused (but what was new?), though she shook her head before grabbing Santana's hand. "I thought you didn't want to come or something. I'm so glad you came!"

Santana smiled, and for once, it was genuine. "Of course I wanted to come. I was just running a little late." Pinkie in pinkie, the girls sat themselves down on the floor, Santana eager to hear about Brittany's favourite kind of meerkat ("Timone's a cool name isn't it San? If I have a son, I want to name him that. Or a pet fish").

Now that Santana had miraculously made it, it was painfully obvious that Rachel was waiting for Finn. Every couple (romantically or otherwise) were engaged in their own personal conversations, so with only a slight edge of embarrassment, Rachel made herself talk to Miss Pillsbury.

Will checked his watch. The bus would be dropped off in ten minutes, and there was still no sign of Finn, despite the fact that it was already gone nine.

"Rachel, would you mind giving Finn a call? He's probably on his way, but it doesn't hurt to find out."

Rachel nodded happily. "Of course Mr Schue. I've told him so many times about his punctuality. He probably stayed up all night playing Phone of Duty or something."

Puck rolled his eyes. "It's Call of Duty, Berry."

Rachel ignored his correction as she pressed her cell anxiously to her ear. It was calling. And calling. And calling. Then it went onto voicemail. "He's not answering. He's probably driving. Finn is very safety conscious when it comes to the road, and he won't want to check his phone in fear of causing an accident."

Rachel gave an accusatory glare at Kurt, he looked a tad guilty. "I know, I know, I should have woken him, but I'm not his mother! Actually, I'm surprised Carole didn't wake him. I'll call her and see if he's left." It was Kurt's turn to pull out his phone, and after pressing a few buttons, he waited for someone to answer at home. "Dad, what are you doing home this early? Shouldn't you be at the shop? ...oh, right, fair enough. Yes, everything is fine, I was just wondering when Finn left... Well, surely he said bye to you? Hmm. Can you pass me onto Carole please? Thanks dad, I'll talk to you later."

"Well?" hissed Rachel, though Kurt shushed her with a submissive wave of his hand.

"Hey, it's Kurt. Yes, Mercedes and I were the first to arrive. No, I'm fine, I just wanted to know what time Finn set off from home. No, it was nine we were supposed to meet... Yes Carole, it's nine o'clock now." A groan of annoyance erupted from the group of kids; that meant Finn was still asleep. "Would you mind waking him now then? And please tell him that everyone is very disappointed, and that he should feel ashamed of making us all wait. Thanks Carole, I'll call you later, bye!" Kurt snapped his phone shut. "It seems Finn is still in bed."

Will ran a hand through his hair. "Well, at least we're not in a huge hurry. I'm going to go downstairs and wait for the bus to be delivered, then hopefully Finn will soon be on his way." Emma decided to join him (she wasn't sure what else to say to Rachel), and once the only adults of the room had disappeared, everyone glared at Rachel.

"Why are you all looking at me like that? Yes, Finn and I are dating but that does not mean that I'm in charge of waking him in the morning! He's old enough now to take care of himself."

Puck snorted. "Whatever Berry, I know for a fact that you call him every morning when you wake up because you did the same damn thing when we were dating."

Rachel spluttered at the accusation, though Puck was telling the truth. She'd _meant_ to call Finn as soon as he was awake, but she'd had a bit of a disaster (her hair had decided to curl overnight), and she'd completely forgotten about Finn as she'd fought for dominance with her straighteners.

"Enough about Finn already!" moaned Kurt. "I'm more interested in your wardrobes, and I cannot _wait_ to see what clothes you ladies have brought!" The girls screamed with excitement as the boys groaned in unison.

"Finn better get his sorry ass out of bed soon," muttered Puck, to which Mike, Matt and Artie nodded angrily, "or I'm gonna go round there and wake the lazy punk up myself."

**Glee!**

"How can you understand him?" muttered Finn. He was having a really hard time trying to take in the situation around him, and it didn't help that Mr Schue was talking utter nonsense.

"As it happens Finn, I took a two year course on chicken husbandry, so I can make out most of what his clucking sounds mean."

"Finn?" Finn looked around the farm yard, frowning at the sound of his name. "Finn?"

"_Finn!"_

Finn jumped up out of bed as his mom shook him by the shoulders. "Careful, he might bite," he mumbled, still half asleep.

Carole scowled as she looked at the mess around her. "Finn, your room is like a pig sty. Anyway, I haven't got time for this, you're late for your vacation!"

Finn's slowly closing eyes shot open at the realisation of his mistake. "You've gotta be kidding me!" He glanced over at his clock and swore, which resulted in a chastising slap across the head from his mother. "Why did the damn thing turn off? I set it last night, honest I did!"

Carole shook her head and shrugged. "It doesn't matter about that now. Come on, have you got all your bags packed?"

Finn rubbed at his eyes as he nodded. "I did it all last night."

"How many pairs of underpants are you taking?"

Finn looked humiliated. "Mom!"

"I know what you're like Finn Hudson, and I want you to make sure that you change them every day!" Finn, embarrassed and flustered, grabbed some old clothes and began to pull them on. Thank God he'd decided to pack last night (he had to remind himself to thank Rachel for making him do it). "Right, if you bring your things downstairs I'll drive you up there, but hurry up!"

Finn grabbed his two small bags, and with extreme ease, threw them over his shoulder. He wasn't even washed and ready, but he could do that later... On second thoughts, he'd be seeing Rachel, and she could probably smell the sleepiness on him. Finn threw his bags down and darted to the bathroom, somehow getting toothpaste in his eye and soap in his mouth as he made an effort to look half-decent.

"Finn, come on!" his mom shouted.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" he yelled back. He took a quick look around his room to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything when a small, wrapped object caught his eye. Thankful he hadn't missed it, he stuffed it in his bag as he fell halfway down the stairs; at least no one could say he wasn't dedicated to glee club.

**Glee!**

"Your carriage awaits! If everyone can grab their own luggage, we can make our way down to the bus. Be careful you don't fall for goodness sake, we don't need any injuries this early on!"

One by one, the kids of glee club carried their bags to the large bus that was parked outside Mr Schue's apartment (a few of them stopped to help Artie). Though the trunk of the bus was huge, it looked doubtful that they'd get everything in (and it looked as if Mr Schue's earlier joke might not be so ridiculous after all).

"I call the back seat!" said Puck as he raced against Mike to make it on before the rest of them. Emma was about to warn them to be careful, but she figured that they were old enough to take responsibility for themselves (though she regretted not saying something when Mike ran head first into the door of the bus).

"Mr Schue, are you capable of driving such a large vehicle? I thought you had to have a certain driving license to man something like this."

Will tapped his nose as if in on a secret. "Don't worry Rachel, I've already got that covered. Aren't you getting on?"

Rachel looked around hesitantly, still clinging to one of her bags. Everyone else had already claimed their seats, but she was determined to wait for her no-good lazy boyfriend.

"I'm going to wait for Finn if that's okay..."

Will nodded in understanding. "That's fine. I need to go and speak to Miss Pillsbury, so I'll be back in a second."

Rachel looked sadly at the bus; she could see that everyone was having fun already, though nobody seemed to be missing her presence. How _dare_ Finn do this to her! It was embarrassing enough that she was waiting for him like a lost puppy, but if he didn't hurry up soon, he could forget sitting next to her for the duration of the trip.

**Glee!**

"Are you sure you take a right here? I've been around this neighbourhood before and I don't remember seeing that group of trees..."

Finn hung his head in his hands. His mom had insisted on driving because she thought he was still half asleep, and he was pretty sure that they were lost. He peeked through his fingers hesitantly before shouting so loud that his mom nearly drove into someone's front wall.

"It's here, it's here! Just keep driving. Man, I can't wait to see Mr Schue's face, even if he is disappointed."

Carole slowed down as she pulled up a few metres from the bus. Finn could make out Mr Schue talking to Miss Pillsbury (what was she doing here; hadn't they fallen out?), and relief ran warm through his body. They hadn't left without him, and Mr Schue wasn't a chicken.

"You're sure you've got everything?" asked his mom for the fiftieth time that morning.

Finn nodded, desperate to see all of his friends. "Yep, though I forgot the kitchen sink..." He smiled jokingly at his mom, though was suddenly alarmed to find that she was crying. "Mom, why are you crying? It was just a joke!"

She laughed whilst blowing into a tissue that she'd fished from her pocket. "I know sweetie, I'm just going to miss you. Have a wonderful time, and don't forget to change your-"

"Yeah yeah, see you later mom, I love you too." Carole leant across the seat to place a wet, slobbery kiss on his cheek (which he planned to wipe off when she was out of sight). "Thanks for dropping me off!" he called as he closed the door behind him. He pulled his bags from the back seat, smiled happily at his mom, then headed over to the bus as Mr Schue caught sight of him.

"Finn Hudson, I'm giving you detention for being late."

Finn's face fell. "Mr Schue, that's totally not-"

"I'm joking, I'm joking, just hurry up and put your things in the trunk."

Relieved, Finn made his way to the back of the bus (and just managed to avoid a spit ball that Puck had aimed out of the window) to come face to face with an angry Rachel Berry.

"Hey," he began, knowing full well that she would be pissed at him.

"Hay is for horses," she muttered, though Finn was pleased to notice that she seemed to loosen up a bit as he took a step closer.

"Sorry for being late. I was having this awesome, weird dream where me and you-"

"You were dreaming about me?" she asked, surprised and with a smile.

Finn loaded his bags in the bus before laughing a little awkwardly. "Well, yeah, but Mr Schue was also in it and he was a chicken and... You know, never mind, let's go claim the crappiest seats on the bus." He held out his hand (half expecting Rachel to bite it off), and with renewed excitement, Rachel took it in hers as she led him to the vehicle (she insisted on pulling him wherever she wanted to go because she liked to feel in control). As they both stepped on the bus, she turned to him with a smile.

"This is going to be so much-"

"Booooooo!" The whole bus (excluding Will and Emma, who refused to be a part of it) began to make booing noises at Finn, whose face lit up like a tomato.

"Noah Puckerman, I can only imagine that this cruel exhibition was your idea?" Rachel managed to ask as she took a seat in front of Tina and Artie. Puck lowered his imaginary hat with a wink.

"Of course it was. It's not my problem that Sleeping Ugly needed more beauty sleep."

Finn mouthed an offensive insult at Puck that Rachel happened to miss, though before he could retaliate, Mr Schue cleared his throat.

"Now that you're all here," he looked at Finn expectantly, who apologised with a mumble, "we can get going!" Cheers erupted around the bus. "However, before we do, there's something I want to tell you first." Kurt pulled a face at Mercedes while she shrugged; were they going to like the sound of this? "What I've noticed is that even though you're all a team, you each enjoy the security of remaining with your closest friends. This isn't a problem usually, but if you can't come together to be the strongest you can be, then how will we ever win Regionals, or even Sectionals?"

Rachel closed her eyes; she had a horrible feeling that she knew what was coming.

"Mr Schue, what are you trying to say?" asked Artie apprehensively.

"Even though this is a vacation, we need to remember that it is a glee vacation. That means that if I set you a new club assignment, you're not allowed to complain." Everyone's eyes widened; he wanted them to _work_ and _sing_ while on vacation? "So, I'm going to warn you ahead of time. When we arrive today, you can relax in whatever way you want." Puck elbowed Quinn and raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"You wish," she whispered under her breath.

"However, tomorrow, you will and your partners will each begin working on your designated tasks."

"T-t-tasks?" stuttered Tina.

"That's right. While waiting for a certain someone to arrive," Finn groaned; he was never gonna live that down, "I took the liberty of writing a little list of each team. You and your partner have to select a song to sing that represents your true character."

Rachel squeezed Finn's hand. She wasn't sure what he was thinking about, but two memories came into her head. The first, and the nicest, was of a very similar assignment not long ago, of which Rachel now owned a copy of Jessie's Girl on her iPod. The second, and least enjoyable, was their ballad assignment. Finn had been dating Quinn at the time, and Rachel had been, well, _sort of_ in love with Mr Schue.

"So, we have to find a song that tells people who we are, and then sing it to our partners?" asked Kurt sceptically.

"No. You have to find a song that tells people who your partners are, and they have to sing it." There were a few confused mumbles and questions, so Will decided to make an example. "Okay, look, pretend that Miss Pillsbury and I are partners." Will looked over at Emma to see a tiny smile on her face. "After spending the whole day with her, I realise that the perfect song for her to sing is She's a Rainbow by The Rolling Stones."

Emma caught her breath; surely he hadn't just come up with that off the top of his head? "And for Mr Schue, I think the perfect song for him to sing is... Shaggy's Boombastic." Everyone burst into laughter as Will turned a funny shade of red.

"I don't know if I'm familiar with that song," said Rachel, a huge, devious smile on her face.

Puck stood up where most people could see him, and with a thrust of his hips in a comical yet equally hot way, he began to sing, causing Mr Schue to hide his face in his hands.

"_She call me Mr. Boombastic, say me fantastic, touch me in me back, she say I'm Mr. Ro...mantic." _A few of the kids wolf whistled as Puck moved to the non-existent music._ "Say me fantastic, touch me in me back, she say I'm Mr. Ro..._"

"_...Smooth just like silk, soft and cuddle, hug me up like a quilt, I'm a lyrical lover no take me for no filth with my sexual physique, yah know me well built._" Tina giggled like crazy as Artie joined in, though Mr Schue whistled loudly to get everyone's attention; Miss Pillsbury was shaking in a fit of laughter.

"Very funny guys, but at least you know what I mean now." Puck and Artie high-fived in a rare moment of unity. "So, that's what you have to do. You have all day tomorrow to come up with your songs, and then on Wednesday, you each have to perform them for the whole group." Rachel crossed her fingers on the hand that wasn't crushing Finn's. She didn't want to work with anyone else, but if Mr Schue was saying that they didn't integrate enough, there was no way that he was going to partner them together.

"It'll be okay Rach, it's only for one day," whispered Finn, his breath hot and tickly on her ear. She nodded silently, though one day was still a day too long.

"Okay, the people working together are..." Finn could feel a drum roll in his heart. Please not Santana. Please not Santana. "Mercedes and Matt." Matt smiled with relief at Mercedes, who grinned happily back. "Puck and Tina." Tina could feel herself shrink as Puck's name was partnered with her own; this was going to be hell. "Rachel and Mike." Rachel couldn't see Mike from where she was sitting, but she knew that he probably wasn't thrilled either. "Finn and Brittany." Finn let out a sigh of relief. Brittany was better than Santana. "Quinn and Artie." Quinn smiled to herself; this was going to be fun. "And finally, Kurt and Santana." Kurt looked at Mercedes in horror. He was partnered with the bitch extraordinaire? "Tomorrow, you need to go and work together to find the perfect songs. Now, let's get this show on the road!" Mr Schue took his place in the driver's seat, leaving the kids to take in what they'd just been told.

Out of all of the partners, Quinn knew she had the best deal. In choosing people that they didn't usually talk to, Mr Schue had obviously overlooked the fact that she had sung with Artie for their ballad assignment, and had surprisingly enjoyed his company; spending the day with him tomorrow would be easy, not to mention enjoyable.

Tina reckoned she had it the worst. Finn she could have handled. Matt she could have handled. Puck... not so much. He was everything she wasn't, and hell, how often had she actually spoken to him? Twice maybe? A day was way too much of a chore.

As the bus started with a shudder, Rachel rested her head on Finn with a deep sigh.

"What's up Rach?" he asked, rubbing his fingers along the inside of her arm.

"I'd rather be singing with you," she murmured. He knew what she meant; it killed him that Mike would be singing with his girlfriend (well, not a duet, but he'd still get to hear her sing to him).

"Don't worry, we've got plenty of opportunities to sing together. Besides, it might be kind of fun?" He highly doubted it, but he _did_ understand what Mr Schue was saying. They were all supposed to be a team, and if they weren't comfortable with certain members, then how could they ever work together properly?

"I guess so," she whispered. She didn't tell him her anxieties about Brittany; it reminded her too much of the time Finn had double dated her and Santana. With a backwards glance at the blonde cheerio, Rachel gulped uncomfortably; she hoped Finn would be stronger than he had been the last time.

**Glee!**

The journey up to the beach house lasted just over two hours. Most of the glee club had drifted asleep (including Finn to Rachel's utter disbelief), so when they arrived, it took them a while to adjust to their surroundings.

"Awh come on guys, you surely don't want to let someone else claim your bed?"

In a wave of activity, people darted off of the bus to take a look at their rooms, though Tina and Mike stayed back to help get Artie. For a change, it was Finn who was pulling Rachel by the hand, and she was sure that if he pulled any harder, her arm was going to fly out of its socket. What none of them had realised was that Mr Schue had the key to the house, so they couldn't actually get in (though Puck tried to climb in through an open window).

"Can we hurry this up Mr Schue? I've had a little too much water to drink." Quinn practically hopped up and down on the spot in desperation, so Will hurried to unlock the door.

"Let Quinn in first, then you can all fight over where you're sleeping."

Puck picked Quinn up in a blur of activity, dropped her off outside what he assumed was the bathroom, then darted to the boys' bedroom so he could have his pick, Matt close behind him.

Rachel shook her head in disappointment. Boys were so primitive! All the beds would surely be the same, though when she saw Brittany and Santana dash towards their room, she suddenly remembered that there was one less bed for them to use, and she was definitely _not_ sharing with anyone.

"I'll see you in a bit Finn!" she called as she ran after Brittany, Mercedes hot on her trail.

Will and Emma watched all the mayhem with amusement. "I've never seen them move so quick!" laughed Will. "Anyway, I need to have a word with you." Emma gulped as she looked hesitantly towards him. "Boombastic, really?"

Emma tried to stop a giggle from erupting from her lips. "It was just a joke Will, don't take it too personally."

Ignoring the longing in Will's face, Emma decided to have a look around the house herself. It had no first floor, so every room was next to each other (which meant that if the kids got up to anything that they shouldn't, she'd be able to hear it all). She peered into one of the rooms, though frowned as she realised it contained only one double bed. "Is this where Artie is staying?" she asked. When Will didn't reply, she turned to face him, only to feel her stomach drop. "Will, _please_ tell me this is where Artie is staying." He pulled an apologetic expression, but it did nothing to help calm Emma's nerves."We can't sleep in the same bed!" Her voice took on an urgent, high pitched sound that was on the edge of tears. "Did you plan this all along? Did you think that you could somehow win me back by sleeping next to me?"

She stopped herself from going all Sue Sylvester on him when Quinn wandered out of the bathroom, able to hear everything the two were talking about. "This seems like a really great place Mr Schue." When she realised that she'd interrupted whatever the hell they were talking about, Quinn decided to find out where she was sleeping. She peeked into one room (and found another bathroom), peeked into a second one (another bathroom? Was she going to be sleeping in the bath?), and after a third attempt, found the rest of the girls sorting out their bags. Rachel was sitting, cross legged, on one bed, which was pressed against the wall. Next to her sat Tina on hers, who was sandwiched between Rachel and Mercedes. Lastly, Santana and Brittany each had their own bed, leaving Quinn standing in the doorway, nowhere for her to sleep.

"You should have peed later Quinn, now you have to share with someone," smiled Brittany, though she didn't mean to be rude.

"I have to... wait, what? I didn't agree to sharing a bed with anyone."

"I'd offer you my bed Quinn, but I don't know if there's much room in here." Mercedes gave her a pitiful smile. Tina looked awkwardly at Rachel, who had her jaw set as if to say 'No way Quinn'.

"Whatever. Brittany, I'll share with you and then Quinn can have my bed."

Quinn's jaw almost dropped in surprise; when had Santana ever thought about anyone else but herself? "Santana, you don't have to-"

"Don't say that or I won't," came her harsh reply. Not one to question her motives, Quinn took the bed with a thankful sigh, happy to rest after doing, well... okay, so she hadn't done much that morning, but she was still exhausted.

Meanwhile, in the boys' room, Puck had claimed two beds for himself, but after a quick fist fight with Finn, he decided he could make do with just the one.

"This is gonna be so cool," said Matt as he jumped up and down on his bed to test its strength.

"Yeah, but tomorrow is gonna suck so bad!" snarled Puck. "I mean, I know this is glee and everything, but I remember Mr Schue _specifically_ saying to enjoy ourselves over the summer. I didn't sign up for even more goddamn singing, and I certainly didn't agree to singing with a chick I hardly know."

"Hey," snapped Artie, "Tina's an amazing girl. Just give her a chance and you'll realise how great she is."

Puck held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I was just sayin'! I'd rather be doing this with Quinn, but whatever." Puck frowned. "Actually Abrams, you're singing with my girl aren't you?"

Artie pushed his glasses further onto his nose. "Yes, it turns out I am."

"Well, don't think you can cop a feel when you do, alright? Puckasaurus knows everything."

Artie rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

"Who are you with again Kurt?" asked Mike. It seemed everyone had forgotten about Kurt's presence. He'd requested to stay with the girls, but Mr Schue had strict orders from Rachel's dads that she wasn't to sleep in the same room as any boys, despite how feminine of a boy Kurt was.

"Santana," he muttered (he wasn't sure why Finn looked nervous all of a sudden). "I have no idea what song I can get her to sing, and I don't know if I even _want_ to know her true character."

"It's only for one day at least," said Finn, who thought he should try and involve himself in the conversation.

"Yeah, but then we have to perform the day after," complained Mike. "I wonder if Rachel will even let me get a word in when we-" He trailed off after receiving a scary glare from Finn. "I mean, it'll be fun, Rachel's really talented."

Finn settled back down on his bed, staring at the ceiling while trying to fight off his urge to sleep (even though it wasn't even twelve). He _so _wasn't looking forward to tomorrow.

**Glee!**

The rest of the day was spent getting settled in. Will and Emma left the kids to their own devices as they got a few things for the night's dinner, which meant that while some of them decided to go and test out the lake, most of them decided to simply sit back and relax. Mercedes had brought a few board games with her, and after Puck had been banned from playing Monopoly for life ("I swear, the money just fell into my lap!"), Mike, Matt, Mercedes and Brittany had a short game, though Santana had to help Brittany when counting out the money.

Finn had been desperate to go and have a swim in the lake, but Rachel was feeling homesick or something. She'd been quiet ever since they'd found out about their partners, which got Finn to thinking if Mike had ever wronged her in some way. As a last resort at cheering her up, he decided to give Rachel the gift that he'd almost forgotten that morning. Since she was the only one left in her room, Finn let himself in (even though boys weren't technically allowed in the girls' room).

"Hey Rach," he smiled, though her eyes didn't light up like they usually did. "I brought you something to make you happy again, 'cause you seem a little off."

Rachel cocked her head in confusion. "You got me something?"

Finn nodded as he sat down on the end of her bed. "I was going to give you it later, but to be honest it's not that good anyway so it doesn't matter when you get it." He held the tiny package in his hand that was quite poorly wrapped. "I hope you like it, though, you know, you can tell me if you don't."

Rachel stared down at the object. With a catch in her breath, she carefully took it from him, savouring the feel of gift-wrap against her fingers. She nervously began to unwrap the mysterious package, though because Finn had gone overboard on the tape, he had to help get her started.

When she finally managed to pry it open, she wasn't quite sure what she was looking at.

"It's a money box," Finn said hesitantly. Oh yes, as she looked at it more closely, she could see the hole for the money. It was a small white ball the size of her hand. On top sat a smiling blue pterodactyl, which was extremely cute. On the ball itself read "Rachaelodactyl (alt spelling Rachelodactyl). Excitable and confident with the sweetest squawk in the skies!"

"Finn-"

"I know you're frightened of dinosaurs, but I figured that you might like a friendly one, and when it says sweetest squawk, well, that obviously refers to your amazing singing ability."

Rachel looked up at Finn, overwhelmed by his tiny, thoughtful gesture. "I love it Finn. Thank you."

A goofy grin appeared on his face. "Good. Now, wanna go down to the lake?"

**Glee!**

The rest of the day passed peacefully. Emma prepared an extremely tasty salad for dinner (Puck had complained beforehand, but after tasting it, he realised that Miss P was a goddess in the kitchen), followed by some kind of cheesecake thing that Finn had eaten four slices of. By ten o'clock, the house was silent as a few people starting falling asleep where they sat.

"Alright guys, I'm gonna go to bed. Remember, you have an important task tomorrow, so don't stay up all night. See you tomorrow." Will made a grand gesture of heading to his room, hoping that Emma would follow after him (if only to protest again at sleeping in the same bed).

"Will, wait a second." Bingo. Will was met by an angry but exhausted looking Emma, who didn't seem to have the energy needed to shout. "We're putting a pillow or something in the middle so we're not touching, okay?"

Will resisted the urge to laugh, because he knew that wouldn't help the situation. "Sure, that's fine by me." He opened the door for Emma, who looked anxiously at her bags. "You know, you should be thankful; the owner said it was a single bed in here."

Emma didn't smile. "That doesn't really reassure me." She looked again at her luggage as a blush appeared on her cheeks. "Would you let me get changed Will?"

Will practically tripped over his own feet. "God, yeah, sorry, take as long as you want." He rushed out of the room to witness Kurt sneaking into the girls' room. "Kurt, come on, we've already talked about this." Kurt said nothing, but simply stormed off back to his own room, much to the disappointment of Mercedes.

Only Finn and Rachel were left in the living room. Rachel really didn't want to leave him, especially since she didn't have anyone to really talk to with the girls.

"Damn, I forgot the walkie talkies!" Finn moaned as he pressed his face into the skin of Rachel's neck. His breath made her head feel woozy.

"Finn, don't start this or I'll never want to leave," she murmured as her lips briefly kissed his chin. "Besides, I need to be up bright and early so that I can start on my assignment."

Finn pulled himself away. "Fine, yeah, that makes sense." He kissed her briefly, not allowing himself to enjoy it too much. "See you in the morning Rach."

**A/N: **Firstly... Yeah, sorry there's so much! I got carried away writing this chapter, and I haven't even written about their first night away! (that will come in the next update :3) Before I say what I need to say, here's the part where I thank all the awesome people who reviewed and favourite! I'm so happy and overwhelmed and -insert all the stuff I always say here-.

So, as a thank you to everyone who has reviewed, I now need your help. The next few chapters will be all about the new partnerships, and how they choose their songs and learn about each other. Therefore, I'm going to let you guys choose who you want to read about first :) The choices are Finn and Brittany, Rachel and Mike, Puck and Tina, Quinn and Artie, Matt and Mercedes, and Santana and Kurt. Whoever gets the most votes (simply say who you want to read about first in your review) will have the next chapter dedicated to them, and so on and so forth.

Anyway, can't wait to hear who you choose! I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! (Oh, and here's a nice bit of trivia for you. I actually own a Rachaelodactyl money box! My name is Rachael, so yeah, that's where the inspiration comes from :D)


	10. Chapter 10

"Can someone turn the light off?"

Santana looked at Rachel with incredulity. "What are you, like seven? It's only ten o'clock!"

Brittany giggled at Santana's words while Rachel tried to look surprised. "Oh, sorry, I thought it was much later than that. You know, some much more acceptable hour for sleeping."

"Yeah, sure you did." She watched Rachel's face crumple for a split second, and instantly regretted it. She was supposed to be the new and improved Santana Lopez, yet she'd just as easily reverted back to her old, bitchy ways. She'd packed her letters, one for each of the glee club, but she had yet to give them out; she wasn't sure she actually had the guts to go through with it. In an attempt to be somewhat nice (she had little experience), she instead decided to engage Rachel in conversation.

"Santana, is something wrong?" frowned Rachel. "You've been staring at me for a while..."

Santana laughed in her humourless way that sounded mocking and cruel rather than elated. "No, I wasn't. So, you and Finn; you slept together yet?"

Mercedes, Tina and Quinn had been talking amongst themselves, but at Santana's question they were silent, turning their attention to a suddenly flustered Rachel. What should she say? Of course they hadn't done it yet, but if she said no, would that seem uncool?

"I don't see how it's any of your business-" she began.

"That means no," whispered Brittany, though everyone could hear her (and Quinn found herself laughing despite knowing that Rachel was probably a better person than she was).

"I really don't get the obsession with sex! Yes, it's one of the experiences of growing up, but how is such a basic human act supposed to define a character?" Rachel could feel the colour of her cheeks rising, but she needed to get this off her chest. "Love isn't just about doing 'it' because everyone else is. It's about the relationship itself! It's about being able to say that your partner is totally devoted to you, and you to them! It's about-"

"Chill Berry, I'm not stupid. It's called making conversation." See? This is what happened when you tried to do good deeds; you had to listen to a bunch of crap you didn't give a damn about. Rachel huffed to herself as she crossed her arms.

"Soooo, how about a game of something?" suggested Mercedes.

Quinn laughed with a dramatic sigh. "Oh please, next you're going to suggest playing truth or dare, or something just as cliché."

Brittany clapped her hands with a cheer. "Oh, I love truth or dare! Can I start?" Everyone else looked a little embarrassed. It was such a lame game in a 'we should totally play it' sort of way, but they were sixteen; was that too old to play?

"Okay Brittany, truth or dare?" asked Tina, as if confirming that they were going go through with it.

Brittany bit her lip as she squirmed on the spot. "Ummm... dare!" The rest of the girls looked at each other for guidance, wondering what they could possibly do for a dare.

"I dare you to..." Quinn began, only to feel an evil smile spread across her features. "I dare you to go and tell Mr Schue that you've wet the bed." Mercedes burst into a fit of hysterics, tears rolling down her face; Tina looked completely shocked, unable to imagine doing such a thing; Santana simply nodded in approval.

"Brittany, you don't have to do that, it's really cruel," said Rachel, putting emphasis on her words. She'd never played this game before, but it sounded unnecessarily mean.

"That's nothing. Linda from Cheerios once dared me to eat a whole cactus."

Rachel winced. "Please tell me you didn't!"

Brittany shrugged like it was the most normal thing in the world. "I ate as much as I could. It was really spiky." Tina shook her head in disbelief; it could only happen to Brittany.

"How do we know you've asked?" asked Mercedes.

"Good question. Keep the door open and speak extra loud, okay?" said Quinn. Rachel wanted to cover her head with her pillow so that she couldn't hear what was coming. How _degrading_.

"Wish me luck!" whispered Brittany with a grin. She jumped out of bed, opened the door as wide as it would go, then skipped the short distance to Mr Schue's room before knocking loudly.

"Brittany, is everything okay?" he asked warily as he glanced over her shoulder.

"Mr Schue, I wet the bed. Do you have any spare sheets?" Inside the girls' room, everyone (apart from Rachel) was trying their best not to laugh too loud.

"I uh, how did, you w-wet the bed?"

"I drank too much. It's okay, I can just sleep on the mattress. Thanks Mr Schue!" Brittany skipped back into the room to receive four enthusiastic high fives (Rachel refused to praise her childish behaviour).

"Okay, San, it's your turn! Truth or dare?" Santana gazed around at the five people who were giving her such different looks. Rachel was half glaring, half smiling, which Santana expected was down to disapproval and fear; Mercedes looked hesitant, probably because of the whole Puck thing (she hadn't really apologised for that yet); Tina looked excited since the two of them had never really had the chance for a cat fight (but that could soon be arranged); Quinn looked silently confident, which Santana took to mean 'I'm going to give you a great dare'; Brittany just looked smiley and clueless as usual.

"Truth," Santana said with a trademark shimmy of her head.

"Who gets to ask it?" queried Tina. Quinn gave a half shrug as if uninterested.

"Whoever has something to ask."

"Have you ever had genuine feelings for anyone?" It was Mercedes who plucked up the courage, though her words were sceptical and a little cold.

"That's the best you got?" laughed Santana, again in such a humourless way that she might as well have never laughed at all. "Yes." Mercedes was about to protest until Santana shimmied her head once more. "Don't start. You didn't ask for a specific someone." Santana took Mercedes' eye roll in her stride. "You, Rachel, truth or dare?"

Rachel shook her head quickly. "I refuse to be involved in such a demeaning and-"

"Come on Rachel, it's only a game," insisted Tina. Rachel bit her lip in thought. She should have been trying to build bridges with the girls, not burn them, and heck, Tina was going to have a go, so why couldn't Rachel?

"I'm going to regret this, I know I am... Dare." She scrunched her eyes up tightly in what could potentially be the worst mistake of her young life.

"Ooh, let's think of something really fun!" said Brittany.

"Wait outside a minute," said Santana.

Rachel looked confused. "Are you talking to me?"

"Who else? Hurry up, we're not playing this thing all night."

Rachel hung her dressing gown over her shoulders as she was exiled from the bedroom. It was hard, knowing that Finn was under the same roof, especially since Rachel was already hating their living arrangements.

Not sure how long they were going to be, she tried to put her spare time to good use. What kind of song would best represent Mike? Well, it would help if she knew the tiniest bit about him. He seemed popular enough in glee, but Rachel was the girl everyone avoided, so she'd never had the pleasure of being in his company. He'd mentioned his dancing skills a few times; she could definitely work with that. Still, that wasn't exactly pushing the boat out. No, Rachel was determined to reveal a side of Mike Chang that no one else had seen... Or at least that was the plan. She glanced towards the kitchen, very tempted to make herself some hot chocolate (she'd had a craving ever since slowly adapting to her non-vegan routine again), but her longing was cut short as Santana's smug head appeared from the bedroom.

"Come on Berry, this is going to be hilarious."

Rachel felt like throwing up on the spot, but somehow found the energy to walk towards the cheerleader, whose face seemed to be glowing proudly. "Let me guess... You were the one who thought of it?" asked Rachel pitifully. Brittany giggled, which meant that yes, it had been Santana after all.

"You can't back out now Rachel. Besides, we could have thought of _way _harsher things."

Rachel glared at Quinn, who shrugged. "We're all going to get a turn."

Rachel looked down at her feet, which were currently hidden by a pair of pink, fluffy bed socks (one of many gifts her dads had given her before she'd left).

"Okay, let's just get it over with," she muttered.

"We dare you to go to the boys' room, go inside, then sit silently on Kurt's bed."

Rachel risked a confused frown at Santana. "I just have to go in there and be quiet?" she asked, hoping she'd actually been blessed with a bearable dare.

"You have to stay in there until someone guesses why you're there, and you're not allowed to talk, or write anything down." Rachel felt her jaw hang slack. They'd _never_ guess that she was there as part of a dare! Then again, she could easily whisper to Finn or something-

"Oh, and no cheating. I'll be questioning Puck tomorrow, and believe me, I can get him to spill if you've been bending the rules," added Quinn with a tight twist of the mouth.

"This is ridiculous, I don't think I-" Rachel looked towards Mercedes and Tina for support.

Mercedes pulled a sympathetic face while Tina gave a quick shrug. "It won't be too hard, and I'm sure that Kurt or Artie will guess right?"

Rachel sighed inwardly. This was going to be hell. "Fine, I'm going, I'm going. I'll see you tomorrow morning." With the vindictive giggling of Santana and Brittney ringing in her ears, Rachel marched herself to the boys' bedroom. It could have been worse; what would Mr Schue have done if she'd entered and refused to talk to him? She lifted a clammy hand to the bedroom door and knocked quietly a few times, worried that Miss Pillsbury might catch her (then again, if she _did_ find her trying to get in, she'd probably send her back to her own bedroom...).

"Rachel? What are you doing here?" Rachel felt her heart catch in her throat as her giant of a boyfriend stared down at her, confusion and excitement written all over his face. "You know you're not supposed to be here, right?" Rachel resisted the incredible urge to press her lips against Finn's as his mouth smiled crookedly (he wasn't allowed to be so adorable in a situation like this!). Instead, she forced a nod and a half hearted smile. "Rach... are you okay?" She nodded again, which made Finn frown. "Are you like, coming in or something? Puck's only in his vest and underwear though..."

Rachel cringed. If she went in now, would it look like she was interested in seeing Noah almost naked? No, Finn knew perfectly well that the Puckerman ship had sailed long, long ago (and even then, 90% of her thoughts had revolved around Finn).

With a deep breath, Rachel stepped around Finn, and almost burnt up with utter embarrassment. It wasn't just Puck who was ready for bed, but Matt and Mike too. She didn't harbour secret feelings for any of them, but wow, had they always been so toned and, for lack of a better word, hot?

"Berry, what the hell do you think you're doing?" barked Puck, who had previously been staring at something on Matt's iPod. Rachel didn't respond, though she wanted nothing more than to dart back to her own room (especially since she'd only just realised that she was wearing bright yellow pyjamas, adorned with happy chickens). Ignoring Puck's rude question, she instead walked over to Kurt, who looked completely terrified, before sitting down on the edge of his bed, staring once again at her fluffy socks.

"Earth to Rachel, is anyone there? Is something wrong with her?"

"I dunno, she didn't say anything when she knocked..."

"Rachel?" Rachel looked up meekly at Artie, whose head was cocked as if analysing her expression. "Is there something wrong with your voice?" Rachel thought quickly; she wasn't allowed to talk or write, but the girls hadn't mentioned anything about hand signals. She raised one hand slowly and nervously, looked Artie in the eye, then rocked it back and forth to try and communicate 'sort of'. Artie laughed until he realised it wasn't a joke. "Erm, okay, you can't say anything at all?"

Rachel shook her head sadly.

"Is Santana a closet witch who put some kind of silencing spell on you?" Rachel turned her head to face Kurt with a smile before repeating her hand gesture; she was glad that Kurt's lips twitched slightly in response.

"Does that mean she really is a witch?" whispered Finn anxiously, which resulted in a playful punch from Puck. "Ow man, that one hurt!" Finn ignored Puck's roar of a laugh. Instead, he focused his attention on helping Rachel, despite the throbbing pain in his arm. "Has someone told you to do this?" Rachel's face lit up as a bright smile spread across her face whilst she nodded vigorously. Her hand seemed to beckon him forward, which Finn deduced to mean that she wanted him to carry on, or you know, something like that. "Erm..."

"Did you lose a bet?" ventured Mike, who was overwhelmed by the passion in Rachel's smile. She shook her hand backwards and forwards again, but it meant that they were getting close.

"Did you win a game of Cluedo with Mercedes? She's a bad loser," attempted Kurt, though Rachel shook her head, still keeping her gaze on Finn (she was certain that he'd get it after all).

"Did they kick you out for being such a pain in the ass?" Puck's question was met by Finn's fist, which collided with his shoulders. "You bitch, I didn't even hit you that hard!"

"Shut the hell up, we're trying to help Rachel here." Rachel ignored Noah's muttering and cursing because she was sure that her heart was glowing with the determination in Finn's voice. She smiled again at him, which in turn made him smile back automatically.

"So you're playing some type of game, right?" asked Matt. Rachel nodded, still keeping her eye on Finn. Then, Rachel was sure that she had witnessed the most beautiful thing in the world. Finn frowned as he was thinking, yet slowly, realisation spread across his face, meeting his lips so that he smiled in confident victory.

"Is it truth or dare? Did someone dare you to do it?"

Rachel jumped off of Kurt's bed and straight into Finn's unsuspecting arms with a squeal. "I _knew_ you'd get it Finn! That was absolutely _excruciating,_ and I really thought that I'd be here all _night_, or that you'd throw me out and break up with me for not having the courage to tell you what was going on, but if I'd have failed then-"

"Rach, you need to slow down 'cause I'm still trying to work out what excruciating means."

Rachel kissed Finn's lips hungrily, though didn't linger; she wasn't really into strong public displays of affection. "I love you Finn. See you in the morning." She pulled herself away from Finn's reluctant grip and turned to the other boys. "Thanks for helping! Now I'm going to go dare Quinn to run outside naked." Puck's head snapped up in disbelief and anticipation, only to be met with an annoying perky wink from Rachel. "Only joking. Night guys!" And then she skipped out of the room.

"Man, did that really just happen?"

Finn looked over at Matt. "You mean, did my girlfriend just kiss me?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "No, I mean, did Rachel just come in here because the other girls dared her to?"

Finn wondered if Matt was like a fish or something, because he'd never known anyone with such a bad memory. "Yeah, they're playing-"

"Matt's trying to take in the image of the girls playing games like that," helped Artie.

"Maybe they're playing spin the bottle!"

Finn scrunched up his nose in the same was as Kurt did whilst Puck and Matt high fived. He'd never understood the lesbian thing. He'd double dated Santana and Brittany because he was flattered by the attention, but if they'd made out while he was watching, he probably would have looked away out of politeness. Therefore, the idea of girls kissing each other and stuff didn't really do it for him; when he tried to imagine Rachel kissing Quinn, he only made himself jealous, and he decided it was probably a good time to change the subject.

"So, why don't we play a game or something?" The room went silent as everyone stared at Finn in disbelief.

"Dude, it's hot when girls play shit like that, but it's just gay when us guys do." Puck looked over his shoulder at Kurt. "No offence Hummel."

"None taken," replied Kurt with the bored tone he usually reserved for Rachel.

"Well then, why don't we, uh, like talk and stuff? We could tell each other a secret, or... yeah?" Again, the room was deathly quiet (Artie wouldn't have been surprised if a tumbleweed had blown past).

"Shut the hell up Hudson! You sound like some kind of-" Kurt cleared his throat in anticipation, which caused Puck to bite his tongue. "We don't talk about secrets because hey, if you haven't already noticed, we're guys." Finn could see Mike frowning out of the corner of his eye. Did that mean that he wasn't the only one who disagreed with Puck?

"If you haven't already noticed, we're not all exactly the best of friends," said Finn in frustration. "Mr Schue's right when he said... well, whatever he said. It's good that we're pairing up with girls we don't know enough, but there's still people in here that I don't talk to much." Finn paused to try and think ahead, but was interrupted by Artie.

"My favourite flavour of pie is cherry, because my mom used to make her own before the accident." All eyes, reluctant or otherwise, were focused on Artie, but it didn't stop his confession. "After the whole ordeal, she never made another pie because I used to help wash the cherries. I can't reach the kitchen sink anymore." Finn felt like an intruder on Artie's secret, but the smile on the bespectacled kid suggested that he was happy to share the information."I want to pluck up the courage to ask her to make more, but I'm worried it'll bring back some bad memories for her." Artie pushed his glasses on further. "Anyway, now you know something more about me, just in case you want to gift me with pies now and again."

Finn resisted giving him a thumbs up because while he thought it would be cool, he was pretty sure that it only happened in lame movies.

"My dad threatened to throw me out of the house when I told him about glee," said Mike, though his voice was a little wobbly. "He'd tried to get me to learn piano so many times, and when I told him that I wanted to sing rather than play, he gave me the night to pack my things. My mom managed to talk him out of it, but I can't mention glee to him at all without watching him blow up." Mike smiled to himself. "He thinks I'm staying at Matt's for the week."

Puck was feeling really uncomfortable. He appreciated that the guys were being so honest, but he had nothing he wanted to share, especially not anything emotional. He didn't want to be pitied, and the last he needed was people feeling sorry for him because of some messed up daddy issues. He was tempted to make some shit up, but he wasn't so good at improvising, and he was pretty sure that Finn would know he was lying.

"I own an animal sweater," admitted Kurt.

Finn snorted with laughter. "Oops, sorry, I didn't mean to l-l-laugh." He wasn't sure if Kurt heard him because he was too busy cracking up.

"Thanks Mr Sensitive. Anyway, it was a guilty impulse buy that I've only ever had the courage to wear in my room... with the lights out." He ignored the way Finn's face turned red as he tried to hold back another laugh. "I know I can rock anything, but Rachel has seriously put me off for a while." Mike reached over to pat Kurt sympathetically on the shoulder.

"I really like listening to the chick from High School Musical," admitted Matt. Mike nodded with a smile (he'd often heard about Matt's weird obsession) while Puck looked like he was about to hurl abuse. "Don't get me wrong, the movies are really cheesy, but man, have you heard her sing?" Finn was almost sure he heard a dreamy sigh escape Matt's lips.

"You have got to be kidding me," snorted Puck.

"What difference does it make? Vanessa is stunning, and she just... Yeah, alright, I know it's a little sad." When Matt began to laugh at himself, everyone else decided it was okay to join in, though now the focus of attention was on Puck and Finn, who had yet to divulge any secrets.

"I'm not as badass as I used to be." Artie covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing. "I mean, hell, everyone feared and respected me at school, but since knocking up Quinn and joining glee, I've become a... a..." Puck winced. "I've become a geek, and not in a good way."

"Is there ever a good type of geek?" whispered Kurt, which Artie responded to with a shrug.

"Then, to make the whole situation worse, I'm never gonna have a mohawk again."

Mike gasped dramatically. "Why?"

Puck clenched his jaw. "Quinn likes me better without one."

Finn shook his head with a snigger. "Man, you are so _whipped_!"

"Oh yeah? Tell me Princess Finn, is it true that you sat through a whole day watching a crap load of romcom movies just to please your girl?"

Finn's ears began to burn as he stuttered at the accusation. "I didn't... w-what made... How do you k-know about that?"

"It's called MySpace you loser. Berry said that she'd had," Puck held up his fingers and wiggled them to emphasise a quote, "'a really good time educating Finn in the finer details of romantic comedies'." Matt and Mike sniggered to each other while Kurt directed his attention to his bag of toiletries (he needed to moisturise before bed).

"Why were you on Rachel's page, and why the hell did you memorise that?" snapped Finn.

Puck shrugged with an air of nonchalance. "I like searching for ways to torment you, and obviously it worked."

Finn looked like he was about to punch Puck right on the nose, and though he'd never admit it, Artie wasn't exactly a fan of blood, so he decided to intervene. "Hey guys, let's just chill shall we? Anyway Finn, it's your turn to tell us a secret."

Finn closed his eyes whilst taking a deep breath. What could he possibly tell them without getting ridiculed? "I wanted to call Quinn's baby Drizzle." He opened one eye to take in Puck's expression.

"That doesn't count because I already knew that," he said, rolling his eyes.

Mike cleared his throat awkwardly. "Actually, so did I..."

Finn was aghast. Quinn had told them all about that? "What about you Kurt?"

Kurt looked mortified because Finn's voice was filled with such malice. "As a matter of fact, I didn't." Kurt pressed his lips together to stop himself from admitting that he'd been told the baby would be called Thunder.

"Fine, whatever, it was a stupid name anyway."

Finn turned his attention to the ceiling so that he didn't end up slamming his fist into Puck's face. It was weird, but even though they'd been friends for ages, Finn hadn't wanted to fight with Puck so much. Yeah, they often had small shuffles over Mario games and stuff, but recently, all he wanted to do was beat the crap out of him. Maybe it was just that, until the baby disaster, Finn had never noticed how goddamn _annoying_ Puck really was, because now, everything that came out of his mouth was an insult to someone.

"Dude, you still have to tell us something," insisted Matt.

Finn clenched his jaw. This whole thing had had been a total waste of time. "Glee has been the best thing to ever happen to me," he finally said. His voice was small because he was expecting Puck to laugh in his face or something, but surprisingly, he saw him nod out of the corner of his eye.

"Same here," Puck croaked as he turned around to get himself comfy in bed.

Artie's eyes glistened behind his glasses. "And here," he whispered.

Mike and Matt knuckle bumped.

"And here," Mike smiled.

"And here," said Matt.

"And just to break the combo, I agree with you totally Finn. I don't know where I'd be without glee." Finn gave an honest, heartfelt smile to his housemate/almost brother/friend. Then, as if Finn's words had been a cue for sleep, everyone began to get ready to hit the sack, knowing just a little bit more about each other.

**A/N: **I lied D: I didn't mean for this to be a standalone chapter, but since it went on for so long, I didn't want the spotlight to be taken away from the winning couple... Rachel and Mike! They got the most votes, followed closesly by Santana and Kurt, so for all those who voted for them, I hope I can do the characters justice. Thank you everyone who took the time to vote! The new chapter should be up tomorrow since I don't mean to make you guys wait ages for it, and hopefully, everything will run smoothly from there :)

As always, **big hugs and thank yous** to everyone who has alerted, favourited (is that a word?) and reviewed this story. Oh, and one last note; for those who review anonymously, you should totatlly make an account just so I can reply and say thank you properly, because I appreciate your reviews just as much as everyone else's.

Next chapter: Rachel and Mike :D


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **None of the songs mentioned/featured in this chapter, or the following chapters, belong to me.

**This chapter is dedicated to Bebeosito, TotesGleek120, Gleekers, Miss Slomojo, Nikki, and xXLove2ReadXx. Thank you for voting :D**

Rachel woke at 6:00am as usual after a terrible night's sleep. It was frustrating that she had to have her alarm on vibrate rather than her favourite morning soundtrack, but she _really _did not want to face the wrath of a sleepy Santana. A tiny part of her insisted that she went back to sleep, but Rachel Berry didn't have time for laziness. Vacation or not, she had to be up and ready, and she certainly didn't want to fight over the bathroom. No, she was so used to waking up early, so it really wasn't a hassle anymore. Besides, today was the day she worked on her assignment, and though she was dreading it way too much, she was determined to do her best, because Rachel Berry always did her best.

That's why, at half past six in the morning, Rachel found herself stood outside the boys' bedroom, daring herself to knock. She counted to ten, took a deep breath, and pounded loudly on the wood before pressing her ear against it.

"Puck, you're the closest!"

"Shut the hell up Rutherford, you can kiss my-"

"I'm not wearing underwear!"

"Just open the damn door Puck!"

"You're all a bunch of pansies, you know that?" Someone on the other side of the door began messing with the handle.

Rachel took a cautious step back and gulped as a very tired, angry looking Noah Puckerman glared down at her. "Finn, your girl wants you-"

"No!" squeaked Rachel with a little too much force. "I'm actually here for Mike..."

Puck smirked; man, Finn was gonna be so jealous (and he couldn't wait to use it against him). "Chang, your partner is waiting."

Rachel could faintly make out some surprised mumbling, which she took to mean 'You've gotta be kidding me'. "T-tell him I'll be waiting in the kitchen." Noah closed the door as Rachel scurried away.

"What the hell was that?" yawned Finn. He looked uncomfortably over at Mike, who was angrily pulling on a pair of pants.

"It looks like Berry just chose Mike over you Finny. I'm sure it was nice while it lasted." Puck savoured the expression on Finn's face as he stuck the boot in. Yeah, Finn was his friend, but it was a long standing tradition between the two of them that you had to take the piss out of each other whenever possible.

"Don't worry Finn," Artie managed to say through a yawn, "tomorrow she'll be all over you again." Finn appreciated Artie's input, but as he tried to sleep for a couple more hours, he couldn't help feeling extremely and utterly jealous; Mike was a lucky jerk.

As the rest of the boys went back to sleep (and after a nauseating wink from Puck), Mike managed to stumble out of the room, his eyes barely open at such a ridiculous time in the morning. He'd had half a mind just to pull his pillow over his head, but knowing that Rachel would be choosing a song that reflected him, he didn't need her ruining his reputation (not that he really had one). With a yawn and a well needed stretch, Mike dragged himself towards the kitchen, where his partner for the day was eating a bowl of cereal with such vigour that he was sure that she was going to swallow the bowl with it.

"Morning Mike. I hope I didn't wake you _too_ early, but since I make it my mission to wake up at the same time every morning, I figured that a wasted opportunity for success was unnecessary. Besides, once you have your breakfast, I'm sure you'll thank me for getting you up. It's amazing how many hours people waste in bed isn't it? I mean, by the time Finn usually gets up, I've exercised, showered, practised my singing, studied, and that's just for starters! I-" Rachel stopped herself from saying anything else. She had to remember that Mike was a boy of very little words (from what she'd witnessed), and she needed to find out his true character, something she wasn't going to do by talking over him all day long. "So, Mike, how did you sleep?"

Mike pulled himself onto one of the kitchen stools as he hung his head in his hands. "N-n-noooot so good," he said with a yawn.

"Oh? Was there some problem with your bed? Mine was extremely comfortable I must say, and after the girls had finally stopped talking I-" She snapped her mouth shut again. It was going to be so _hard_ letting him speak! Still, Mike didn't seem to mind, probably because he seemed to be dozing off already. "Mike?"

Mike jumped awake as he tried to shake his exhaustion off. "No, the bed was fine. It was just..." He looked guiltily at Rachel through his fingers. "It doesn't matter. Yeah, the bed was probably to blame."

Rachel frowned and crossed her arms, causing Mike to gulp in fear. "What is it Mike? I'm not going to yell at you or something!" As she said that, Mike seemed to relax immensely (which got Rachel to wondering if she frightened everyone in glee with her enthusiasm and confidence).

"Finntalksinhissleep," Mike said in a blur. "What cereal have we got?"

Rachel bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. "You were worried I'd be offended because of Finn?" she asked, trying to confirm her suspicions.

Mike gave a tiny shrug. "I dunno, you're really close and I didn't want to insult him."

Rachel let out a quiet giggle. "What did he talk about?"

Mike forced back his own laugh. "Something about chickens or... yeah. Most of it didn't make sense, but uh, your name did crop up a few times."

Rachel looked away from Mike, instead focusing on the box of cereal in front of her (she didn't want him to think that she was obsessed with Finn, despite being, well, obsessed with him). "Chickens? Finn always has had a weird imagination."

And then there was silence as Mike poured himself some breakfast. He clearly wasn't making the effort to converse, and since Rachel didn't want to look too eager, she refrained from speaking for a whole three minutes, listening to the methodical crunching of the cereal in Mike's mouth instead.

"So, this assignment..." he finally said as he finished the last of his food. "I'm not really sure I get the concept..."

Rachel smiled at his naivety, though she was worried that he'd think she was condescending, so she pressed her lips together in a blasé line. "Well, which part don't you understood?" she began, making sure to keep her tone slightly comforting.

Mike scrunched his mouth to the side as he tried to phrase his problem correctly. "I get that I have to choose you a song to sing that says who you really are, but... how do I know who you really are?" Rachel felt extremely self conscious as she noticed Mike blush (albeit very faintly). "No offense Rachel, but I don't know you." She nodded. She understood what he was saying, and really, that was the thing that had been troubling her all night. What had Mr Schue expected them to do together; tell each other tales of their childhoods, plait each others' hair, show each other family photographs?

"I'm not really sure either," she admitted, to which Mike let out a sigh of relief. "I think we should start with something simple enough." Rachel placed her bowl in Mike's, moved them to the sink (she'd have to devise a regime for washing dishes later), and searched around the kitchen for paper and pens. "One second, I just need to grab some supplies from my room."

Mike watched Rachel skip back to her bedroom, and resisted screaming. He was _nothing_ like Rachel Berry at all, and to be expected to know her true character... Actually, it was okay for him. He'd learnt enough from her storm outs and tantrums and lectures and performances, so he could probably give her any old song about greatness or something. Her task, on the other hand, was a little more difficult. It wasn't that he'd meant to be one of the quiet ones of the group; it had just, sort of, _happened._ He was fine in the company of the other guys because he knew Puck and Finn well enough, and Matt was obviously his best friend, but Kurt and Artie... not so much. Still, they were the type of people who would listen to you regardless, which made it a lot easier to talk.

The girls, however, provided a different challenge, and that was because of Rachel. He knew Quinn, Santana and Brittany from Cheerios, so he was happy to talk in their presence. Mercedes had made the effort to become his friend (which he thought was very cool), so he was again happy to talk in her presence. Tina... well, Tina was the girl that he fantasised about, so he was more than happy to talk in her presence. And then there was Rachel. She liked to have everyone's attention twenty four seven, which made being heard in a group of twelve even more difficult. Therefore, Mike had soon found himself simply nodding along or shaking his head, very rarely contributing to group discussions (he knew he wasn't alone in this approach, because Matt said even less than Mike did).

So yeah, being partnered with Rachel was a bit of a nightmare. The only thing that he kept telling himself was that Finn obviously saw _something_ good in her, and since Finn was a decent guy, Mike was sure that Rachel had to be a decent person too.

"Okay, I have a basic idea in mind that will get us started, and hopefully, will begin to allow us to familiarise with each other." Damn, she was back already, holding an array of paper and coloured pens and pencils.

"Er, okay, I didn't expect us to have to write on this vacation..."

Rachel snorted. "Don't be so juvenile Mike. This will help if you're willing to co-operate." With a face like thunder, Rachel almost threw a pink pen at Mike's head whilst she shoved a wad of paper in his outstretched hand. Without another word, she began to scribble down something in an amazingly fast motion, which made Mike's body yawn just watching her.

"Erm, Rachel, what are we doing exactly?"

Rachel looked up from her page with a raised eyebrow and an agitated expression. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think you wanted to write."

Mike refrained from insulting her (besides, that was Puck's expertise, not his). "Sorry, I'm just a little exhausted. Mind filling me in?"

Her anger seemed to disappear at once (she was probably feeling guilty that Finn had kept him awake), and like she'd never been irritated with him at all, she managed a pretty smile.

"Of course. I thought that we could start by creating ten questions to ask each other, just so that we can get an idea of what we're dealing with."

Mike nodded; that was quite a good idea. "Okay, that sounds good. Nice work Rachel." Mike's eyes fluttered down to his blank piece of paper, missing Rachel's grin of appreciation. She returned her gaze to the questions she'd thought of, confident that this would give her _something _to work with, but she soon found herself glancing over at Mike's page, squinting now and again to try and read his messy scrawl. When he looked at her with a curious grin, she felt her throat go dry.

"I was just wondering how many you've written."

Mike glanced at his watch. "Wow, I managed nine in half an hour. Time flies when you're... you're... having fun?"

Rachel looked down at her paper; she'd only managed five. "That's great! Let's have ten more minutes just to finish off." Determined to keep her eyes to herself, Rachel wrote down the first things that came to mind, no matter how ridiculous they were (this was about learning the small, obscure character details after all).

"Morning Santana," said Mike, causing Rachel to jump in her seat. She looked hastily over her shoulder at the girl in question, who was already dressed (it was so, so strange to see her in something other than her Cheerios' uniform).

"Morning Mike, Berry."

Rachel noticed the way Mike seemed to feel at ease in Santana's sudden presence, and for some reason, it irked her. She understood that people found her grating, but she was sure that she was a nicer person than Santana.

"So, do you want to ask your first question?" Rachel said, trying to smile warmly.

Mike shrugged. "Okay, erm... Right, yeah, do you have any pets?"

Rachel's smile faded. She'd expected something soul revealing and difficult, not a question as pointless as that! "No, I don't," she said through gritted teeth. "Do you think you can choose me a song with that detailed information?"

Mike obviously didn't sense her sarcasm, because a crease appeared between his eyebrows in thought. "I think I'll have to ask you some others first." He looked at his list and smiled. "This one should help. Dumbledore or Gandalf?"

"Oh God," Rachel whispered under her breath. "Can I ask how this is relevant?"

Mike snorted as if the answer was obvious. "Well, if you chose Dumbledore, it would mean that you expect those who have authority to be kind, understanding and supportive. If you chose Gandalf, it would mean that you accept that those in power need to be a little rough around the edges to get the job done, so long as they still have a strong heart." Rachel nodded, impressed that Mike could see the deeper meaning in things. "So, which is your favourite?"

"Erm... I like them both equally." She bit her lip. "What does that mean?"

"It means you have a thing for really old guys with long beards." Rachel laughed effortlessly, which triggered Mike to do the same. Both noted how it was the first time that morning that they'd finally begun to get used to each other's presence.

"Right, now I'll ask one, though I don't think mine are as creative as yours... Hmm, I suppose this one will do; would you rather have a job that you hate that pays extremely well, or a job you love for little money?"

Mike didn't need to think about it. "A job I love. Money is just money, but dreams that have been achieved are much rarer."

Rachel smiled, clearly impressed with Mike's answer. "How about we do this by the lake? I think I need some fresh air." Rachel rose from her seat as Kurt entered the vicinity; she couldn't help but notice that he was unusually pale. "Kurt, are you feeling okay?"

He nodded numbly and attempted a smile that greatly resembled a grimace of despair. "Never better," he croaked. Rachel didn't have time for whatever was bothering Kurt, and without thinking about it, she clasped Mike's hand in her own whilst pulling him towards the front door.

"Kurt, please tell Mr Schuester that Mike and I have gone down to the lake to work on our assignment. Thank you!" And then Kurt was left alone with Santana.

**Glee!**

Since it was only early, Rachel and Mike seemed to be the only ones out and about, which suited her fine, since she was glad for the eventual peace and quiet of the undisturbed day. However, while preoccupied at his way with words, Rachel had realised that she'd never heard Mike sing (had he even auditioned for glee club?). Knowing her partner's vocal strength was critical to their success, which meant that she had to hear him before she could even contemplate selecting a song.

"Mike, would you sing me something?" she whispered as they strolled slowly along the path towards the lake. She expected him to nod eagerly at her request, but instead, he seemed to shrink at the very suggestion.

"Maybe later," he said, though he didn't sound too confident.

"Surely you're not embarrassed to sing something? You're in glee club!"

"Yeah, and I'm always the backing singer!" he snapped, which made Rachel wince; she hadn't expected him to get angry. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shout. I'm fine with dancing because I feel like I'm pretty decent-"

"You're excellent!" Rachel piped in, to which he smiled absentmindedly.

"But when it comes to singing, I just blend into the background, so I've become accustomed to it. I used to resent Mr Schue for giving all the solos to Finn, but if he asked me to sing one now, I'd probably say no."

Rachel felt saddened by this admission. She'd honestly never given a thought to those who never had the chance to sing because frankly, she forgot about everyone apart from herself (and Finn of course). She tried to imagine how she'd feel every week at glee rehearsals, knowing that she'd never get the chance to showcase the talent that she was so proud of, and the imaginary horror hurt more than she'd imagined.

"I'm so sorry," she said with earnest.

Mike laughed slightly. "It's not your fault. Besides, I'm used to it." That was a terrible excuse for not being able to perform, and she was certain that Mike knew it too.

"Do you know the song 'Cry Me A River'?" she managed to ask.

Mike looked down at her hesitantly, though he returned his gaze to wherever they were heading. "Michael Bublé covered it didn't he?"

Rachel nodded with a grin. "That's my favourite version actually." She stopped in the middle of the path, her toes pointing outwards, her shoulders pulled back with a deep, refreshing breath. Mike looked alarmed, worried that she was about to puke or something, and then she opened her mouth (and it definitely wasn't barf).

_"Now you say you're lonely."_ Her eyes were closed whilst her face was pointing towards the floor. _"You've cried the whole night through."_ Her eyes opened, and slowly, with the same air of drama that followed Rachel around like a cloud of perfume, she lifted her head so that she was staring straight at a speechless Mike. _"Well you can cry me a river, cry me a river... I cried a river over you."_

It was a little weird, especially since there was no music and she was stood on the path like she was performing at Madison Square Garden, but Mike already had chills (and he was pretty sure it wasn't just the morning breeze).

"Your turn!" insisted Rachel. Mike tried to resist her infectious, encouraging grin, but how could anyone ever say no to such perfect white teeth? He swallowed his apprehensions, scrunched up his eyes, then sung as much as he could remember.

_"And now you say you're sorry for being so untrue."_ He opened his eyes cautiously to see a look of amazement on Rachel's face. _"Well you can cry me a river, cry me a river, 'cause I cried a river over you."_

"Mike, that was amazing!" gushed Rachel. "I had no idea you had that kind of force and energy inside you! I'm going to be having a serious talk with Mr Schuester when we return to the group."

Mike's first instinct was to complain, but the excited feeling in his stomach and the rush of adrenaline in his veins told him to keep quiet. "Thank you Rachel," he simply said instead.

**Glee!**

"And finally, if you had to choose between glee club and football again, which would you go for?"

Mike grinned as he shook his head. "I chose glee then and I'd choose it now."

After walking for over two hours, Mike and Rachel had arrived... well, they weren't exactly sure, but wherever they were, they were sat on the damp grass, still answering each other's questions.

"I think I know what song you can sing," she said confidently.

"R-really?" Mike stuttered. "T-that's great! What is it?" Rachel wasn't listening however. She assumed that Mr Schuester wanted the performances a cappella, but apart from making the task even more difficult, without the right artistic direction, it had the potential to make the singer sound terrible (and for the first time ever, Rachel noticed that Brad wasn't present to lend a hand).

"I need to able to access the internet so that I can track down a purely instrumental version of the song, whilst printing off the lyrics for you to study." Rachel smoothed down her skirt, ignoring the rising horror on Mike's face. "I do know them, but it would be best if I let you interpret the song on your own." With a bubble of excitement in her chest, Rachel turned her attention to Mike, who looked a little worried (she assumed it was just the nerves of performing a solo). "So, how about me?"

"Actually," he began, looking up at the sky to hide the fear in his eyes, "I've known since this morning what I thought you should sing."

Rachel's jaw dropped in surprise. "Well, what is it?" Mike dug a hand into the pocket of his jeans, and produced his iPod touch. He flicked quickly through his selection of music, and when he found the song, he had to stop himself from running away from the potentially dangerous choice.

"Have you heard of R.E.M?" he asked slowly.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I happen to categorise my rendition of 'Everybody Hurts' in my top twenty performance list. Of course, this list is only imaginary, but singing that song gives me such a rush of-" She glanced sideways at Mike, who seemed to have regretted his question. "Yes, I have heard of R.E.M., and I must say, they have an impressive backlog of songs."

Mike nodded, still staring at his iPod. "Would you be willing to work on a mash-up of two songs? Because the first one is a little..."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Mike, if it contains explicit words, we can just substitute them with something else."

"Have you heard 'Bad Day'?" Before Rachel had the chance to respond, Mike pressed play, letting the familiar music fill the sudden silence.

"_A Public Service Announcement followed me home the other day. I paid it never mind; go away. Shit so thick you could stir it with a stick. Free Teflon whitewashed presidency. We're sick of being jerked around; wear that on your sleeve-"_ The song was cut short by Rachel as she leant across Mike to stop the music from playing.

"Is it the swearing? Because like you said, we can change that with-"

"You think I'm having a bad day?" she asked timidly, her eyes shimmering at the connotations of his choice.

Mike ran a hair through his hand (something that a lot of people seemed to do when they were nervous, Rachel noted) as he cleared his throat. "No, well, I did at first because you seemed a little tense but it's-" He stopped himself.

"Go on, I need to know how I'm giving off negative energy without knowing it."

"It was Finn, okay? He just mentioned something last night, but it's no big deal." Mike had been in Rachel's presence (albeit with other people) enough times to know when she was angry. Being so close to her, he now also noticed that her nostrils flared while her lip wobbled with emotion.

"What's Finn got to do with it?" she managed to say.

"He said how much you were dreading today but I don't think he meant it negatively because he said that you were crazy in an endearing way-"

Mike had heard the term 'word vomit' many times before (mainly from _Mean Girls _reruns), but he'd never had the joy of experiencing it for himself. This was down to two things; the first was that he rarely spoke unless he had something of importance to say, which meant he could plan out exactly what he was going to talk about; the second was that he was usually in the company of Matt and Puck, who didn't care if you said the wrong thing (though you could bet money on the fact that Puck would ridicule you for something that sounded like girl talk). Therefore, being in Rachel's company was an altogether new experience for Mike, because it felt like any little thing could set her off.

In this case, it wasn't really a little thing at all; Mike had just landed Finn in deep, deep trouble.

"Crazy in an endearing way." Mike resisted the urge to protect his face when Rachel would inevitably start breathing fire, but it didn't come. In fact, she seemed to calm down considerably, almost like a normal person. "Well, it's nice that he feels he can tell other people my secret fears," she said bitterly before sighing. "Yes, I admit that I was apprehensive about spending the day with you, but only because we've never really had the chance to converse, and I was frightened that you'd set me up with some ridiculous song that would cause everyone to laugh and disown me."

"Rachel, Finn is right; you are definitely crazy in an endearing way."

Rachel pouted as she crossed her arms, well aware that she was behaving like a little child. "Thank you Mike, that's such a lovely compliment."

Sarcasm oozed from every syllable, but Mike ignored that. "You're crazy in a cool way, you know? You've probably been told this a load of times, but you talk too much and too _fast_." Rachel laughed slightly at the sincerity in Mike's voice, and the way he smiled timidly as if expecting her to bite his head off. "But that's okay, so long as you let other people talk for a change too."

Rachel understood Mike perfectly in that one, uneventful moment. It didn't matter that she'd only spent a few hours in his company, or that she didn't know much about his life, because time and trivia weren't important. As she listened to Mike Chang compliment her in a very awkward way, Rachel could see straight into his soul. He was quiet, that much was obvious to anyone, and this was a real shame. Why? Well, Rachel knew that if he talked more in glee, everyone would be much happier. Mike Chang seemed so wise and honest, and all he needed was the right opportunity; all he needed was confidence.

"I'm going to try," she said with a firm, determined nod. "I need to listen more, and you need to talk more, because the world doesn't know what it's missing." Mike gave a bashful laugh that caused Rachel to hold his hand. "Let's go and sort out your song."

**A/N:** It's now 11:58pm, but I promised I'd get this up today so I have! Anyway, I hope this chapter was what you expected it to be, since I had a little trouble writing Mike (I mean come on, there's so little to work with Dx). Yes, there is a distinct lack of songs, but don't worry my little gleeks, that will come in time. Once each pair has been featured, they'll all have to perform their songs for Will and Emma, so then you'll be able to see what songs they both chose :) Thanks for the reviews, etc etc. Free hugs to you all!

Next chapter: Kurt and Santana! :D


	12. Chapter 12

**This chapter is dedicated to hpfangurl12993, PercyZBookworm, Scrubs-Friends-Glee-NCISManiac, and 'Gleek who loves your story'. Thank you for voting :D**

Even though the rest of the boys had gone back to sleep after Mike's early departure, Kurt had stayed awake, desperate to get washed and dressed. If he'd been working with any other girl (even Rachel), he would have made an early start on the assignment, since character analysis was what he did best. However, knowing that it was Santana Lopez that he had to spend the day with, Kurt was more than a little hesitant; he was terrified. Thankfully, the snarky cheerleader had never come to blows with him personally, though Kurt had seen the way she'd treated his best friend over Puck of all people, and he found it very hard to imagine that she had a heart buried under her deathly cold exterior.

What was Mr Schue thinking (or drinking) at the time of his clever little plan? He could have easily paired him up with Quinn instead (Kurt knew for a fact that Artie got along well with her), and then, at least, he would have found it bearable, if not enjoyable.

"Kurt, are you still awake?"

Kurt rolled over so that he could make out Matt's head peering out from his quilt. "Unfortunately," he whispered as a reply. "Why?"

"You're worrying about Santana aren't you?"

Kurt inwardly cursed; was it that obvious? "Yes, I'm afraid I am. I've got a very bad feeling that we are _not_ going to get on with each other."

Matt ignored the genuine fear on Kurt's face, because he could sympathise; he'd once been terrified of anything that wore a skirt. "Don't worry, honestly. She's much nicer one on one. She only acts like a full-on bitch in groups of three or more." Kurt smiled coyly at Matt's words. "Just don't stare her straight in the eyes, because she'll take that as a sign of a challenge."

"Isn't it dogs that think that?" Kujrt whispered sceptically.

"Yeah, your point being?" The two of them shared a laugh.

"Thanks Matt. I think I'll have breakfast, then I'll go and wake her, and tickle her belly or something."

Matt snorted a little too loudly, which resulted in Finn muttering something about jellyfish (and only made Matt laugh even more). As quietly as possible, Kurt rummaged through one of his suitcases for the day's outfit. He was sure that once he was washed and ready, tackling Santana wouldn't be such a hardship.

Kurt gave a little wave to Matt as he headed out of the bedroom to come across Mike and Rachel, who were engrossed in something at the table, which he didn't want to disturb. He stepped towards the kitchen, and almost dropped his clothes (which would have resulted in unacceptable creasing); Santana was helping herself to some breakfast. That certainly wasn't sufficient time to prepare himself for his partner from hell!

"Kurt, are you feeling okay?" Kurt directed his gaze at a concerned Rachel, and managed to force some semblance of a smile whilst nodding like one of those dogs that people kept on their dashboards.

"Never better," he said with a choke, as if someone was squeezing his throat with unneeded malice. He was well aware that his facade was pitiful, but he sincerely hoped that Rachel dropped it, because the last thing he needed was Santana realising how uncomfortable he was. With a sigh of relief, Kurt watched Rachel drag an apprehensive looking Mike towards the front door.

"Kurt, please tell Mr Schuester that Mike and I have gone down to the lake to work on our assignment. Thank you!"

Before Kurt could protest, the unstoppable force known as Rachel Berry had disappeared from the room, taking Mike along with her. Slowly, it began to dawn on Kurt that he was the only one left with Santana, which meant that his tender, well moisturised flesh would be exposed to the cheerleader's bloodthirsty whim.

"Kurt, are you going to eat something, or are you gonna stare like some kind of idiot all day?"

"I'm not hungry, so it looks like I need to practice my moron impression." Kurt's retorts were something that he responded with automatically. He was aware that he sounded a little condescending now and again, but it was his defence mechanism; it helped to be able to shake off insults by being numb to the harshness of high school.

Therefore, he hadn't exactly meant to talk back to Santana like that, and he certainly hadn't expected her to laugh.

"Suit yourself," she said, her voice full of smiles (though was that even possible? Well, Kurt liked to think so). "You were woken by Rachel I'm assuming?" Kurt nodded. "Me too. I'm gonna have to have a word with her; I was watching with one eye, and honest to God, it seems that she thinks walking around on tip toes will keep her quiet. I could hear her making the floor creak all the time."

Kurt raised an eyebrow; was she saying what he thought she was saying? "You don't-"

"No, I don't think Rachel's fat, if that's what you're going to ask. She just makes a hell of a lot of noise for someone so small."

Kurt didn't smile, but instead, decided to see what fresh fruit Miss Pillsbury had bought the night before. He rummaged through the many cupboards, admiring the china patterns on the plates, frowning at the lack of sugary snacks, and wincing at the sight of a mouse trap hidden from view. Quickly, he snatched a banana from the bowl of fruit that he'd managed to locate, and awkwardly sat opposite Santana, who he had just realised wasn't wearing her cheerleading outfit.

"Did you sleep well?" he said as he peeled the banana, careful to keep his gaze away from her.

"Not bad I guess. We spent most of the night daring Rachel to do ridiculous things, and we ended up crashing at about three o'clock this morning."

Kurt's eyes flickered towards Santana's face, which wore a smug smile of victory. "Oh yes, how could I forget? I'm surprised Finn even guessed what she was doing last night. Talk about embarrassing."

Santana laughed with a hint of malice. "Yeah well, she annoys the hell out of me."

Kurt wrinkled his nose a little. He didn't want to be having this conversation. It was true that he and Rachel hadn't been the best of friends in the past (he _did_ feel guilty about her Sandy-inspired makeover), but with everything that had gone on since then, Kurt felt that they'd made real progress. He even enjoyed talking to her now and again, so long as he wasn't in her presence for more than ten minutes. Therefore, he didn't appreciate Santana insulting her. She was still a cheerleader, and granted, so was Kurt, but he didn't act like one outside of practice; Santana was the cliché bitch 24/7, and Kurt refused to join in her mocking.

"Anyway, any ideas about what we're going to do today?" Kurt said, attempting to change the subject.

Santana pulled a face as she shrugged. "Nope. Let's just choose anything, because I'm not spending my entire day finding a song that no one's going to care about. Besides, I didn't realise we'd be singing and _working_ while we were here." Santana fluffed up her hair with her hand, becoming distracted by her appearance in her spoon. "Why don't you just pick a song off your iPod, then I'll pretend I've chosen it, alright?" Before Kurt could protest, Santana pushed her stool away from the dining table and headed towards the front door of the house. "If you need me, I'll be outside, waiting for some sun to appear."

As she sashayed out of view, Kurt was left speechless. _This _was her idea of team work? He should have been relieved, but all he felt was offended. Santana wasn't even willing to spend a day in his company, and for him, that was a huge insult.

"Morning Kurt! You're up early."

Kurt's head twisted over his shoulder as a practised smile spread across his face at a bright and alert Miss Pillsbury. "Morning Miss P. Yes, I can't stand staying in bed for too long when I know that there are so many exciting things to be doing out here instead." He tried to sound enthusiastic, but since he was sat alone with only a half eaten banana for company, his words fell flat (which Emma picked up on instantly).

"Are you waiting for your partner to wake up? Yours is... Santana, right?" She decided to join Kurt at the table, though she didn't eat anything (she had to make sure that the bowls and cutlery the beach house provided were washed _thoroughly_ before she could even contemplate eating off of them).

"Yes," Kurt said coldly. "But I'm not waiting for her; she's already outside, ready to spend the day sunbathing I presume."

Emma looked concerned. She already had a feeling why Kurt was a little off. "She doesn't want to work on the assignment?" she asked softly, to which Kurt shook his head in frustration.

"I wasn't looking forward to this, as I'm sure she wasn't, but she could at least have had the courtesy to try and work _something_ out with me." Kurt glared at his banana. "I didn't even get the chance to insult her poor colour combination in her chosen outfit," he added with a sneer.

Emma sighed as she tried to think of the best way to approach the situation. She hadn't spoken to Santana before (actually, she may have wished her good luck at Sectionals), which meant that she didn't really have a good grasp of her personality beyond 'mean cheerleader'.

"Well Kurt, how about you finish your breakfast while I have a word?" she suggested.

Kurt's face fell in horror. "No, Miss Pillsbury, that certainly won't be necessary. I-I'll go and start a conversation or something." Emma was about to intervene, but Kurt shook his head and continued as unexpected colour appeared in his cheeks. "Really, I can handle this. Thank you for the offer though."

**Glee!**

Santana had taken to going for an impromptu stroll to clear her head. Something had really bothered her when she was talking to Kurt, and despite her effort to rid herself of the image, she couldn't stop seeing Kurt's crestfallen face as she'd told him to work on his own.

_It's not like he was excited to work with me or anything, was it? _She refused to answer her own thoughts, instead deciding to focus her mind on a quick work out. Now that Cheerio practice was suspended until the new school year, Santana had to keep herself fit in other ways, which was a bit of a pain. Instead of remembering the way Kurt had resembled an injured puppy and instead of wondering if he had _wanted_ to learn about her, Santana counted the number of steps she took whilst sprinting up and down an isolated path. She refused to remember the way Kurt had _assumed_ she was calling Rachel fat, because she hadn't meant that at all... had she?

Santana stopped after her eighth lap and pressed her hands against her legs, doubled over in exhaustion. She _couldn't_ let Kurt know the real her because no one actually _did._ She had so many horror stories that would make people gasp in disgust, so many pitiful memories that would make people cry, and so many mistakes that people would instantly judge her when she didn't need to be judged. Therefore, if she did work with Kurt on this lousy assignment, she'd either be forced to lie and continue with the typical cruel behaviour, or she'd have to own up to being a pretty decent girl underneath all the drama, which she wasn't sure she was ready to do. As her breathing became regular again, Santana decided to head back to the house. Maybe there was a way of compromising, a way of letting Kurt in on one of many secrets... maybe.

**Glee!**

By the time Santana had arrived back at the beach house (she wasn't sure how much time had elapsed since she'd left), she found that everyone was already up and dressed, though Puck looked a little worse for wear since he was eating his cereal with his eyes closed (and most of it had fallen down the front of his shirt). Santana scanned the room quickly, smiling as Brittany waved frantically in her direction. Finn was sitting beside her, looking a little lost (Berry probably told him what to say, and without her, he obviously had no words of his own); Tina was laughing at something Quinn must have said, as was Artie, who was wiping away a tear behind his glasses; Matt was ridiculing Puck for his slovenly ways; Mr Schue was trying to talk to Miss Pillsbury, who was more interested in what Quinn was saying... then she saw him. In the corner of the living room, his hands folded in irritation, sat Kurt, who was talking quietly with Mercedes. Santana thought about going over to start a conversation, but Brittany was smiling like a maniac, and the Latina had never been able to resist Brittany's smile. Completely ignoring Finn, Santana forced herself between him and Brittany on the couch, happy to listen to her best friend's theories on goldfish (apparently, when their mouths were opening and closing, it meant that they were trying to talk to humans, though since they lived in the water, no one could hear them, which was some kind of shame).

From the other side of the room, Kurt glared at his assignment partner, which caused Mercedes to roll her eyes and sigh loudly for effect.

"Kurt, if it's bothering you that much, just go and talk to her!" Kurt looked at Mercedes with utter disbelief whilst she shrugged. "I don't get the big deal! Yeah, we're supposed to do this as a team and everything, but you could have a lot of fun with this!"

"A lot of fun?" Kurt said with suspicion. "Define how being alone is entertainment."

"You have to think outside the box. She wants you to choose your own song, right?"

"Yes...? I don't see where this is going."

Mercedes grabbed Kurt by the shoulders, staring straight into his slightly terrified eyes. "Then you just have to find a song that gives off a message! Remember when Rachel sung Gives You Hell?" Kurt nodded with confusion. "It was catchy, it was fun, and it was a way of telling her boy that he acted like a complete ass for breaking her heart." Mercedes watched as the realisation began to dawn on Kurt's face. If it had been anyone else who had pulled off this stunt, she would have told him to stop being such a baby and deal with it, but the temptation to screw over Santana was too much to pass over. Mercedes wasn't the type of girl who liked to be intentionally cruel, but as soon as she remembered The Boy is Mine incident, she knew that Kurt _had _to get some payback.

"So, you're suggesting that I choose a song that humiliates her in some way?"

"That's right!" Mercedes looked at Santana from the corner of her eye, watching bitterly as the girl in question was staring at herself in a handheld mirror. "It shouldn't be too hard. Just find a song that tells everyone how self centred she is and you're good to go."

Mercedes was still watching Santana, and therefore missed the flash of inspiration that lit up in Kurt's eyes. "Mercedes, I think I have the perfect idea."

**Glee!**

"Erm, Brittany?" Santana and Brittany both turned to see who had the audacity to interrupt their conversation; it was a very uncomfortable looking Finn. "D-don't you think we should be working on our assignment? Everyone else has already left to do theirs." Santana realised, for the first time, that they were the only three left in the room (though she did remember vaguely that Mr Schue had mentioned something about leaving to get maps for the area).

"You're right I guess. Where shall we go?" asked Brittany.

Finn gave an awkward shrug; he looked like he wanted to be anywhere but beside the blonde, which made Santana's blood boil. "Is the girls' bedroom free? We could go in there or something..."

"Yeah, let's do that, then I can show you some of the cool stuff I brought like my pony doll that I take with me everywhere." Finn looked across at Santana as he rose from his seat. He opened his mouth as if wanting to say something, but shut it soon after as he retreated to his destination.

"See you later San. This is going to be so much fun!" beamed Brittany, and Santana smiled at her enthusiasm for the task.

"Do you know what you're going to make him sing?" she asked curiously, grinning as Brittany's face lit up in excitement.

"Something from Aladdin I think!" As Santana chuckled to herself, Brittany skipped after Finn, leaving her friend alone in the living room. Her first instinct was to track down Kurt, but since she'd been paying little attention to anyone but Brittany, Santana had no idea where he'd run off to.

_Well, this is just perfect. What the hell am I supposed to do now?_

Santana twiddled her thumbs absentmindedly as she tried to come up with a game plan. Well, she had to choose a song for herself, that much was certain, and with little else to do, she decided to tackle that first. Her iPod was stuffed safely in her sock (skirts were impractical when it came to storage room), and once Santana had untied the headphones, she began to quickly scan through her hundreds of songs, hoping to see a title jump out at her. She briefly considered I Am The One And Only, but she didn't have that on her iPod (why the hell would she?), and while the song applied to her, she thought it might be a tad selfish.

"Gypsy...huh," she whispered to herself. Santana had been a fan of Shakira ever since Whenever, Wherever, because that video had taught her how to really dance. The woman was talented, stunning and popular, which, Santana thought, could also be said about herself, and that was enough of a motive to choose the song for their assignment.

**Glee!**

"Are you sure you don't want to watch? I'm sure Matt won't mind." Mercedes was sitting with Kurt on the small garden wall that stood near the beach house. After breakfast, the designated partners had split up to work on their songs, and with no one else to talk to, Kurt had been tagging along with Mercedes and Matt.

"Hey, sorry, I've got it now," Matt panted as he joined the two friends with his iPod clutched in his hand. "Did you wanna try practising a few songs?" He smiled warmly at Mercedes, then at Kurt, who smiled back and patted Mercedes on the shoulder.

"I'm going to go and find Rachel actually," he admitted.

Mercedes did a double take. "You want to talk to Rachel _voluntarily? _Ooh, is there some impending drama that I don't wanna miss?" Kurt shook his head with a tiny chuckle at Mercedes' enthusiasm for chaos.

"No, nothing like that, I just need... advice about something. Don't have too much fun without me." Kurt jumped gracefully off of the wall and began his walk up to the lake, since that's where Rachel had said she was going. As he left, Kurt glanced over his shoulder to witness Matt embracing Mercedes in a friendly hug. He felt a smile pull at his lips, because yes, despite the tad sting of jealousy, Kurt was really happy that Mercedes was making a new friend.

As he returned to the task at hand, Kurt wondered if he and Santana could have been good friends, given the opportunity.

But opportunity wasn't the problem; Santana was the problem. She sailed through life with her looks and terror, and Kurt hated that. Though he'd become a little more popular thanks to being a cheerleader, he still experienced the cold shower of slushies now and again, and Karofsky's taunting was something that seemed to haunt him in his dreams. This was all despite Kurt's genuine personality and his unique talent and his outlook on life; cool people didn't care if you were nice, because nice doesn't throw punches and nice doesn't fight back and nice simply isn't associated with people like Santana; Kurt just had to understand that.

"Kurt? What are you doing out here, and on your own?"

Kurt walked straight into Mike, who in turn almost knocked over Rachel. Kurt snapped out of his bitter daydreams to help steady the two of them whilst he felt his whole body turn an unflattering shade of red.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." He brushed off his shirt and readjusted his hat, which had slipped slightly with the collision.

"You don't say," laughed Mike, who ran a hand through his hair when he saw the irritated grimace on Rachel's face.

"Is everything okay?" she finally said, noticing how Kurt seemed very preoccupied.

"Yes," he said snappily. "Actually, no, but... can we have a talk?"

Rachel looked taken aback. She remembered the last time Kurt had approached her out of the blue, and it had ended in being called a 'sad clown hooker'. Therefore, she was right to feel suspicious, especially since Kurt was supposed to be working with Santana, the girl who had dared her to lick Tina's shoes (she'd get her back somehow, she was sure of it).

"Erm, sure, is it okay if Mike hears what you have to say?"

Mike looked away awkwardly. If Kurt said no, that meant that he'd need to vacate the area, but if he said yes, he wasn't sure he wanted to listen to whatever the problem was. Still, curiosity triumphed over his need to be polite, and Mike decided to gauge Kurt's reaction.

The slightly smaller boy gave him the once over before shrugging. "Sure, it's more to do with you than me anyway." Rachel frowned as Kurt stared her straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry for what Santana did to you last night."

Rachel opened her mouth to protest while Mike looked silently infuriated. "What Santana did to you last night? You should have said something earlier! What happened Rachel?"

Rachel looked desperately from Mike to Kurt, not knowing what she was supposed to say. "No-nothing! Yes, Santana _did_ target me with that stupid truth or dare game, but really, what she had me do was nothing compared to what I've seen in lousy teen movies." Her voice trailed off as she looked at Kurt. "Did she mention something in particular?"

"Not exactly," Kurt drawled. "She just said that she'd been focusing her attention on you, and I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Kurt couldn't pinpoint the exact moment when he'd decided to talk to Rachel. It could have been the time she'd been rendered silent in the boys' bedroom, or it could have been the time when Santana subtly insulted her, or it could have been the time when he realised that her and Mike hadn't returned from their trip to the lake. Whatever the reason, Kurt had discovered a strange need to make sure she was safe. He understood what it was like to be prey to cruel jokes and hurtful insults, and since she was the one who was targeted the most, he wanted to check that she was okay. Besides, she was Finn's girlfriend, and Finn was an honorary member of the Hummel family, and therefore, it was quite possible that Rachel would one day be Kurt's honorary sister-in-law, and that meant that he had to look out for her, despite her grating personality.

"She made you do other things too?" Mike said, though it was more of a snarl than anything, which snapped Kurt from his thoughts.

Rachel nodded meekly, not sure if she should appreciate the almost protective tone of Mike's voice. "Honestly, it wasn't anything unbearable. Yes, I admit that she made me tidy the room blindfolded, which was rather unfair considering my section was clean, but I'm all about teamwork, and if doing silly little dares made me a stronger part of the team, then it was worth it." Both Mike and Kurt watched Rachel's face, searching for a lie, but since they couldn't see anything, she was either telling the truth, or was a better actress than Kurt had given her credit for.

"Well then, I apologise for bringing the subject up. I can blow things out of proportion sometimes."

Rachel placed a thankful hand on Kurt's arm, and surprisingly, he didn't push her away to rub out the creases. "Thank you for looking out for me Kurt. You've no idea how much that means to me." Kurt didn't need to force his smile because he found that his grin came naturally when Rachel smiled at him (that was certainly new). "Did you want to hear Mike sing a bit of his song for the assignment?"

Mike's face fell in horror. "Rachel, I re-really don't think that's such a good-"

"It's only Kurt, and it's better to practice singing in front of one other person for now. We can work on your confidence later."

Kurt noted with interest that Mike and Rachel made a nice couple (in a completely platonic sense), something he'd never noticed before since they rarely, if ever, talked to one another. Again, Kurt felt a stab of jealousy at the blossoming new relationship, but ignored it as best as he could, finding himself more interested in hearing Mike sing.

"Fine, but I'm not sure I know the lyrics or tune properly yet."

Rachel rolled her eyes as she thrust a piece of paper into his hand. "You're not getting out of it that easily," she said with a playful shake of her head. "I'll play the instrumental version on your iPod, and we'll see how it goes. Don't be nervous about Kurt being here; just go for it."

Kurt felt like an intruder in Mike's personal battle of confidence, and was very tempted to decline the offer to listen. However, as the catchy music began to play from the speakers, he realised that his feet were literally stuck to the ground in anticipation, and when the Asian boy's mouth opened with song, Kurt was left in complete awe.

"_Wandering the streets, in a world underneath it all, nothing seems to be, nothing tastes as sweet as what I can't have." _Even though Mike looked extremely uncomfortable singing with little practice, Kurt was sure that he was the most beautiful boy he'd ever seen. He hadn't noticed before since Mike was something of an unknown entity, but dear God, how was his voice so good? It was deeper than Kurt expected, yet he wasn't exactly sure how so much power came from such a skinny person. _"Like you and the way that you're twisting your hair round your finger. Tonight I'm not afraid to tell you what I feel about you. I'm now gonna muster-_ Oh, wait, crap, I got that bit wrong."

Rachel stopped the music before clapping enthusiastically. "Mike, that was very near to being semi-perfect. Your voice fits this song brilliantly, and with some practice, you're going to blow everyone away tomorrow!"

While Mike grinned from ear to ear, Kurt wiped a tear from his eye in admiration. "That was very impressive, I agree," Kurt said breathlessly. "I'm going to go and practice my song, but before I do, I have one more question Rachel."

Rachel resisted wincing, and instead nodded confidently. "Go ahead and ask."

"How did you have the courage to sing Gives You Hell?"

**A/N: **I'm sorry for the delay, but I'm really not happy with this chapter. By pairing up characters that don't normally interact, it makes it difficult to write! I know that these first two pairing chapters have seemed like fragments rather than mini-stories, but the plan is to make it all come together eventually, so please hang tight for that :) I also hope that all the Santana fans that are reading aren't too disappointed with how this turned out. Like I said, everything will make sense once I've posted more chapters, so sorry for dangling these little cliff hangers!

As always, thanks for your continued support. There's nothing I love more than to wake up to lots of reviews and alerts, so thank you, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter, which will be (randomly) **Puck and Tina! :D**


	13. Chapter 13

**This chapter is dedicated to egyouppt, Scrubs-Friends-Glee-NCISManiac, and laylita83. Thank you for voting :D**

Puck was tied to a chair. It usually didn't bother him, because he figured that any type of bondage was a good type of bondage, but he wasn't in the mood for tight ropes and burn marks, especially considering that he was sitting in the dark.

He needed to backtrack. How had he got there again? He tried to remember what he'd been doing beforehand, but hell, he couldn't even remember what day it was, never mind why he couldn't see a damn thing... And he was sure he could smell blood.

"Is anyone there?" he managed to call out after a while. It was weird, considering how he hadn't thought to speak before, yet Puck didn't dwell on that. He instead strained his ears for any hint of company.

"Shut up Puck. Soon, I'm going to take what I want, and what I want is your blood." Puck recognised the voice; it was the goth chick who he had to work with for his assignment crap.

"What the hell-"

"Puck, Puck!" Puck squinted into the darkness to see Tina somehow flying towards him, fangs bared, a large cloak floating behind her.

"Puck!" Puck opened his eyes with a yelp as he woke to Artie shaking him by the shoulders.

"What are you doing?" Puck snapped as he pulled himself out of bed, becoming increasingly aware that he was sweating like a pig in Hawaii or something. Weirdly, he could feel his heart hammering against his chest, which only usually happened in football practice and when he was making out with Quinn (he was still holding onto the hope that she'd give in to his sexual needs at some point in the near future).

"Y-you were thrashing around in your sleep, and besides, everyone's already up and awake." Puck glanced awkwardly over his shoulder at Artie, who was no longer wearing his unflattering pyjamas. "Were you having a nightmare?" he asked curiously, though Puck could practically smell the fear in his voice.

"Uh, yeah, something like that," he muttered whilst rubbing his tired eyes. He stopped himself from bitching about the Asian, cause while he was an ass, Puck was starting to like the wheelchair kid, and he probably didn't want to know that he'd been dreaming about his girl. "Thanks for waking me... Did you sleep alright?"

Artie made a noise at the back of throat, which sounded like 'yeah, not bad'. "Yes, the bed was adequate, though it was a bit difficult with Matt's snoring and Finn's unconscious muttering." Puck frowned as he pulled on a pair of day old socks (he was on vacation, and couldn't be bothered to find a clean pair). He didn't realise he was such a heavy sleeper, 'cause he didn't remember hearing any noise last night. "Anyway, um, I'm going to go and get some breakfast."

Artie didn't linger for long, leaving Puck to dress in solitude. Man, that freaking dream had scared the crap out of him. It wasn't Tina that frightened him specifically (though she could use a makeover), but the sense of being completely vulnerable...

"Stop being such a girl," he mumbled to himself with a yawn as he rummaged through his luggage for clothes.

**Glee!**

Tina woke with a start as Quinn tapped her carefully on the shoulder.

"Morning Sleepy," smiled the blonde. "Dopey and Grumpy are already up, so I thought I'd best wake you." Tina laughed slightly as she waited for her body to function properly. Quinn was staring down at her, and slowly, Tina remembered that Rachel had woken up first, followed by Santana, then Mercedes. She dragged herself upright and felt a little embarrassed to see that even Brittany seemed to have disappeared.

"Ugh, I could do with a few more hours," Tina admitted with a yawn.

Quinn nodded in sympathy."Mercedes woke me with her damn early morning singing, and once I'm awake I'm awake, so I've just been hanging around, waiting for Artie to get a move on." Tina felt her heart ache until she remembered that it was assignment day, and Artie would be spending time with Quinn (she refused to feel jealous).

"I wonder how Santana and Brittany slept? The beds aren't exactly roomy." Tina noticed a flash of guilt spread across Quinn's face, though it was gone in the blink of an eye.

"I'm sure they were fine. They're both so incredibly skinny that they barely add up to one person." Tina forced a smile. It was weird, talking to Quinn. She appreciated that the pregnancy had changed Quinn's outlook on life, but it still felt foreign engaging in conversation with the former head of the Cheerios.

"I'll leave you to get yourself sorted. See you later Tina." Tina waved appreciatively as Quinn left the room, then flopped against her pillow. A full day with Puck... She didn't get the big deal over him. He was okay on the eyes in a raw, masculine kind of way, but Tina had never been a fan of people like that (which was easy to see when you looked at Artie). With a flush of colour in her cheeks, Tina realised that she was the only girl in glee club who hadn't 'hit that' (so to speak). She'd heard from Kurt that Brittany had slept with Puck, and Santana's history with him was legendary; Rachel had dated him for one crazy week, Quinn had gotten knocked up and was now giving their relationship a go, and heck, even Mercedes had fallen for his bad boy attitude. Tina grimaced; this was going to be an absolute nightmare.

**Glee!**

Puck dragged himself from the boys' bedroom. Despite having a great night's sleep, he felt utterly exhausted, and nearly fell over a chair as he made his way into the small kitchen that jutted out of the living room.

"Morning man. Did you sleep well?" Puck had to squint to recognise Matt, who was buttering himself some toast.

"S'alright," he yawned as he leant against the kitchen counter. "I could have done with a few hours more though." Puck rubbed his eyes to try and adjust to the light. "How 'bout you?"

"Yeah, I slept alright, all things considered." Matt was about to bring up Finn's sleep talk, but he'd been told by Mike that he himself snored, so he decided not to mention it.

"Hey man, can you pass me the cereal?" Matt nodded as he took a huge bite out of his toast. "Thanks." Puck yawned into his hands, trying desperately to rid himself of his sleepiness.

"Hey look, Tina's finally woken up." Puck moved his hands to get a look at the girl in question, who was dressed, as always, in her depressing goth wear. Puck involuntary shuddered as he saw her; his weird dream became more vivid when she was in the room.

"Yeah, that's great I guess. I'm just gonna... I need to..." Matt rolled his eyes with a smirk as Puck's head hit the kitchen counter with a snore.

Tina felt amazingly self conscious as she left the bedroom. She hadn't expected to be the last one up and ready, since she'd been betting on Puck being the laziest in the group. Thankfully, she was welcomed with warm smiles and good mornings, and after greeting Artie with a quick peck on the cheek, she sat beside Quinn, who was being surprisingly nice.

"So, you excited about working on your assignment with Puck?" she asked. Tina glanced towards the boy in question, who seemed to have fallen asleep where he sat.

"Totally," she lied. "We both have so much in common like... Well..." Flustered, she looked to Artie for support, who shrugged with a smile.

"You both live in the same town?" he suggested. Tina giggled as Quinn bit her lip.

"You didn't used to have a mohawk in middle school did you?" Artie chuckled at Quinn's suggestion, trying to imagine Tina with the same look that Puck had sported for so long.

"No. My mom's always had a short cut, and she was forced to live her hair dreams through me, even though I really wanted one." Tina felt a warm feeling in her stomach when she saw Quinn laughing genuinely, honestly. She had to admit that she was a little intimidated by the beautiful blonde and her stud of a boyfriend, so it was nice to make some kind of social progress. "So, where are..." Tina scanned the room to see who was missing, "Rachel, Mike and Santana?"

"Rachel and Mike left a while ago to work on their assignment apparently," yawned Quinn, obviously bored by any mention of Rachel. "I don't know about Santana. She's probably gone on the hunt for young, vulnerable men." Tina snorted with laughter while Artie wiped a tear from his eye; it was mean, but true. "Oh, speak of the devil," she whispered. Santana had appeared from nowhere, glancing around to see what she'd missed. Once she'd spotted Brittany, she sat beside her and Finn, who Tina noticed looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Well, I guess we should start working on our assignments soon. I think I'm going to need all the time I can get," said Tina, who looked over at Puck with worry, only to see him spill cereal down the front of his shirt, his eyes half closed. "Do you guys know any songs that involve pigs?" Quinn and Artie, both with a confused frown on their faces, turned their attention to Puck; Artie fought back a laugh while Quinn playfully hit Tina on the shoulder.

"Hey, that's my pig you're talking about!" With a scheming smile, Quinn rose from her seat, and with over exaggerated tiptoe steps, she stood behind Puck, who was trying to scoop up the air with his spoon. "Puck, you wanna go and do it really quickly before I have to leave?" Quinn's whisper was loud enough only for Puck to hear, but Tina and Artie had a general idea what she'd said, since Puck's eyes shot open instantly as he straightened up with a stretch and a smirk.

"Of course babe, I'm not tired anymore, let's go." He reached for Quinn's hand, but she placed it on her hip before he had the chance. Instead, she leaned towards his ear and whispered something that made Puck groan inwardly.

"Go have fun with your partner," she said brightly. "Come on Artie, let's go out for a bit." Quinn winked at a frustrated Puck before she wheeled Artie out of the room.

"Yeah, fun, can't wait," he growled, banging his fist on the table with a snarl.

"Is everything alright Puck?" Puck looked up at a concerned Mr Schue, and forced out a sickly fake grin.

"Sure it is Mr Schue, sure it is. I'm just so excited to be working with-" Puck panicked. Crap, he _knew_ he should have asked Quinn what the goth chick's name was. And damn it, she was staring straight at him and Mr Schue was about to say something and -"Tina! Tina, yeah, Tina. So excited." Mr Schue raised an eyebrow in suspicion whilst Tina felt her cheeks faintly blush.

"Alright then. Do you know where you're gonna be practising?"

"The boys' bedroom. My guitar's in there."

"Okay, well, don't forget what the point of the assignment is." Puck gritted his teeth, waiting for Mr Schue to leave him alone. He had half a mind to complain about the whole stupid idea, but he didn't want to ruin the day for everyone else (wow, he'd definitely matured over the last year).

"Tina, are you ready to like, work and stuff?" She looked hesitant, and he didn't blame her. Wait, actually, yeah he did! He might have had reservations working with a girl who only wore black, but she should have been psyched about working with the Puckmeister!

"Sure, let's uh... get to it." She rose apprehensively from her seat, and with frustration, Puck saw her pull a face at Mercedes, who returned the gesture. Not bothering to be chivalrous, Puck stormed straight towards his bedroom, wishing more than anything that he was going in there to sex Quinn up or sleep. When he pushed the door open, he realised what a mess it was (apart from Hummel's area, but that was a given). Puck thought about straightening his stuff out, but he couldn't be bothered if Tina hated it either way. With a groan of exhaustion (seriously, he wasn't sure he'd ever been so tired before), Puck jumped onto his bed, his arms and legs sprawled all over the place. Staring up at the ceiling, he could hear his partner step quietly into the room, probably waiting for him to tell her what to do.

"Sit wherever the hell you want," he mumbled. "Artie's is in the corner if that does anything for you." Since he got no response, Puck hauled himself upright, perched uncomfortably on his bed. Huh, she'd chosen Finn's. Weird. "So, I have no idea what we're gonna do. I don't think I know any songs about bats and shit, and I swear, if you suggest a Twilight song I'm gonna rip you a new one."

Tina laughed; she just couldn't help it. It wasn't even a tiny chuckle either, but a full blown, hysterical giggling session. She'd heard of people laughing in stressful situations and she figured that this was one of those circumstances. She was extremely intimidated by everything about Puck, from his muscle-covered arms to his colourful vocabulary of curses. Heck, being in the boys' room was bad enough, because she was sure that she could see about five different pairs of underwear scattered across the floor, and she didn't even want to think about the undistinguishable stains on Puck's mattress. But when everything was combined along with the unbelieving glare from Puck's face, it was all so _funny,_ and Tina couldn't even pinpoint why.

"S-s-sorry, I j-j-j-just.."She tried to explain herself, but found it extremely difficult to even form a coherent sentence (and since Puck looked confused and irritated, it only made her laugh more).

"Jeez, Artie never mentioned the fact that you're a nutjob." And then she laughed even harder.

_What the hell is her problem?_ Puck wondered. He'd noticed that Tina could be emotional at times (he had to admit that he'd wanted to pat her on the shoulder or something when she'd cried at Mr Schue's), but he hadn't seen her laugh properly, like, once. Yeah, she joined in now and again when something awesome happened in glee club (Puck had committed one of Finn's ungraceful falls to memory), but she always just seemed to be _there_, not really joining in with everyone else... Or, you know, Puck just never paid attention to her; it was one of the two.

"Hey, wait..." He frowned, trying to remember the times he'd heard her speak. "Didn't you used to have a stutter?" As soon as he'd said the 's' word, Tina stopped laughing straight away, and forced her eyes away from Puck's curious gaze. "Hello, earth to bat girl?"

"I did... sort of." Her voice was suddenly incredibly small, which made Puck wonder if he'd trodden on a sensitive topic. He was about to change the subject when he remembered what they were supposed to be doing, and he realised that he probably needed to know why she'd stopped stuttering for their assignment.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Tina looked back at Puck, who looked, for a moment, like a normal, caring human being. "I think I want to," she admitted. "I... well... I faked it." Puck raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I had a problem with self confidence when I was younger, so I started stuttering so that people wouldn't ask me things or expect too much of me."

Puck let out a low whistle. "That is some messed up shit," he said with a laugh.

"It's not funny!" she said indignantly, to which Puck snorted.

"I thought you were the wholesome one of the group. Actually, I should have seen it coming, you do dress like a weird-"

"Hey, don't start on that again!"

"Alright, alright! Shall we get started on our a-a-a-assignment?" Puck's cocky grin disappeared as his face was met with Finn's pillow. He hadn't been expecting it, which meant that he was defenceless to Tina's sudden onslaught of clothes and blankets that never seemed to end. Unable to face defeat, Puck grabbed his own pillow, and with a war cry that was worthy of Arnold Schwarzenegger or some other bad ass guy, he leapt off of his bed towards Tina, who screamed pathetically, trying to protect her face. "You're gonna pay for that Wednesday friggin' Adams!" His pillow hit Tina again and again, which reignited her laughing fit. She tried desperately to fight him off, but her attempts were futile; Puck was apparently an expert on pillow fights.

"I surrender!" she squealed.

Puck held his pillow over her heard with a grin. "You sure, cause if you try and-" The damn chick hit him with Finn's pyjama pants before he could finish his sentence. Whilst he was incapacitated with surprise, Tina bounced off of the bed and hid under Mike's, her heart racing a mile a minute. She didn't care that she was probably too old to be messing around like this, because (though Puck would probably never admit it) she was having a lot of fun. "Now it's time to launch my full Puckatronic force on you for that!" he said with a growl that made Tina scrunch her eyes up tightly. As he searched for her, she bemusedly wondered what Artie would have to say if he could see her now, hiding under Mike Chang's bed. She was too busy wondering if he'd be amused or humiliated to realise that Puck was standing beside her, until she felt him tug on her ankle. Before she knew it, she was being hoisted into the air by his arm.

"Okay, okay, I surrender this time!" she giggled, her dark hair falling around her face with the unusual circumstances.

"Good." He dropped her back onto Finn's bed and punched the air in victory while Tina sorted out her unfortunate hairstyle. "Man, no one's ever dared to mess with the Puckasaurus. You seriously have some balls." He shrugged. "Well, imaginary ones anyway." Both a little out of breath, they remained silent for a second.

"That was fun," she admitted with a grin. "Not what I'd expected to happen."

Puck nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it kinda was. Wouldn't it be kickass if everyone joined in? Like, we could convert the living room into a huge battleground, and we could have teams or something... And Artie, he could be like, the army general or whatever, telling the soldiers how to fight!" Tina giggled at Puck's sudden enthusiasm. "I don't think Mr Schue or Miss P would be up for it though, in case someone bled on the leather sofa."

"How about we organise a night for them to go out?" Tina suggested.

"How do you mean?"

"Well." She crossed her legs on the bed, trying to get comfy as she thought ahead. "Mr Schue and Miss Pillsbury were once a couple, so-"

"What the hell? Are you serious?" Puck shook his head in shock. "That's like the most perfect, cringiest thing I've ever heard."

"Yeah, at least I think so. Rachel had suspected that they'd been flirting for a while, and-"

"Stop right there. I do _not _need the specifics of Mr Schue's fucking courting ritual." He bit his tongue at the shocked expression on Tina's face. "Crap, sorry, I'll stop with the swearing and being cruel to others thing, you know, if I can."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. So yeah, long story short, they got together, but split up when he cheated on her."

"Oh yeah, damn, I remember that. I wondered why everyone kept telling me to call him a man whore in Spanish. So, what's this got to do with anything?" Puck watched as Tina gave a tiny, calculating smile.

"I have it on good authority that Mr Schue still likes her, and I'm sure she still likes him, so all we need to do is organise a romantic meal for them on the night that we wage war!"

"That's the lamest thing I've ever heard, but I'm up for it, so long as I'm on the opposite team to Finn. I need an excuse to beat the crap out of him." Tina ignored his insult because she was suddenly excited by the whole idea (she just hoped Artie wouldn't feel _too _left out).

"Anyway, we can sort that out later. I think we should try and get out songs together," she said. She really had no idea what she could get Puck to sing, because though she already knew he was a bit of an egghead, she didn't know any songs about mohawks and Mario.

"Let's just go with it," said Puck as he grabbed his guitar from beside his bed. "I'm good at singing shit as I go along, so..." He began to strum quietly, and though Tina didn't recognise the tune, it sounded catchy all the same. "_Tina is a lunatic, I can't believe it's been so quick for me to realise that she's a freak and that I'm an awesome-"_

"Prick?" Tina laughed as she aimed a sock at Puck's head. "I don't know how Quinn puts up with you." Puck pulled his best, sexy smile which usually had women melting at his feet, yet somehow, Tina resisted his ridiculously good charms.

"Man, you are a freak aren't you? Don't you feel like you want me to ravish you or something?"

Tina stuck her tongue out at him. "Far from it. The more I talk to you, the less likely that becomes. You're just not my kind of guy."

"Alright, alright, no need to kick me when I'm down!" He played some random riff on his guitar as he stared at Tina's face, which was deep in thought. "So, you have any ideas?"

"Not really," she admitted. "Actually, have you seen Anchorman?" Puck's eyes widened at Tina's apprehensive smile.

"Damn right I have! Ron Burgundy is a fucking legend!" He slapped himself on the wrist. "Sorry, I mean, he's such a legend. Why?"

"Remember when he sings Afternoon Delight?" Tina knew she was taking a risk just suggesting it, because it was more of a joke than anything, but hey, at least she was connecting with him on something, even if it was a movie about a news team. As a grin was spreading across his face, Tina was certain that she'd found a possible song choice after all.

"Hell yeah! Man, that is the best song ever! Who doesn't love a song about having sex during the day? Dude, you're a lot cooler than I gave you credit for." Tina blushed, she couldn't help it; she'd just been called cool by Noah Puckerman.

"That's only a suggestion, because if you think about it, that'll tell Mr Schue that I think you're a sex maniac, and I don't think Quinn would appreciate that."

Puck looked crestfallen, but he nodded ever so slightly. "Yeah, you're right. Man, that would have been kickass! If you can come up with another song just as awesome as that, I might have to swap you for Quinn."

**Glee!**

"Okay seriously, if you don't suggest something decent in the next ten minutes I'm just gonna give you something totally ridiculous!" Tina hung her head in her hands. They'd been working on their assignment for almost three hours, in which time they'd been interrupted by almost everybody in glee, and Puck was beginning to get frustrated.

"I'm trying! It's a lot harder than I thought it would be." Tina slumped down onto Finn's bed, exhausted by the energy needed to sing (they'd tried many different songs out, but none of them seemed to work). "You know, you have two personalities Puck." Tina couldn't see him (she was trying to count the number of cracks in the ceiling), but Puck was rolling his eyes with a scowl.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It mean that one minute, you're quite cool to be around, and the next, you're back to your old jackass self." Tina covered her mouth with her hand in horror. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that."

"Yeah you did, otherwise you wouldn't have said it. Anyway, you say that I have two personalities, but this is coming from the girl that either doesn't say a thing, or starts frickin' pillow wars! You're the one with the dual personality!"

"Hot 'N' Cold," she whispered.

"What are you on about now?"

Tina sat herself up with a smile on her face. "I know what song you can sing." Puck suddenly tensed up, either in excitement or terror. "You've heard of Katy Perry haven't you?"

Awh crap. Yeah, he'd heard of Katy Perry alright. She was the girl who said she'd kissed a girl and liked it, yet she hadn't at all, which made her a bitch in Puck's books.

"I have, but doesn't she sing like... well, girly songs?" His tone sounded disgusted, which made Tina a lot more confident about her choice.

"Not really. I actually sung one of her songs for my glee audition, but that's not important. Anyway, I have the song on my iPod. Do you think you'll be able to do something with your guitar?"

"Babe, look at me." Tina pulled a face as Puck tried again with his sickly smile whilst gesturing to his body. "I can play _anything_, even some music with a chick that can't sing. I've got this in the bag."

_I hope so_ thought Tina as she went to locate her speakers.

**A/N:** I'm sorry for the lack of updates! I've been so busy that I haven't had the time to work on this fic, so I do apologise for the wait. Anyway, I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Maybe it's just me, but I can imagine Puck and Tina to get on really well if they had the chance, and again, I can't wait for you guys to see which song Puck chooses for Tina :) I have a feeling that the song chapter is going to be huge, but yeah, hopefully that's not a bad thing!

And yes, the next chapter is **Finn and Brittany** :D Thanks guys, we'll talk again soon! :)


	14. Chapter 14

**This chapter is dedicated to StaceyB88, laylita83, Nikki and a random Gleek. Thank you for voting :D**

Finn had always taken everything for granted. He'd taken his mom for granted, and his friends, and his above average skill at sports. Most of all, he'd taken being single for granted. Okay, so he'd dated Quinn for a few crazy months, but that still counted as being single. Why? Well, his LBRB (Life Before Rachel Berry) had been hassle free. He was free to be selfish, because he didn't have to worry about anyone in his life. His mom was a tough chick who could handle herself, and since he wasn't as into Quinn as he'd once believed, Finn just had to focus on number one.

And then Rachel Berry changed something in his life, like a talented, beautiful catalyst. Suddenly, Finn had another person to look out for. When he wasn't with her, he'd worry that she'd get hit by a car, or get abducted by aliens, or that she'd meet another St Jerk-off who would sweep her off her feet... It was torture. When he'd dated Quinn, Finn hadn't worried about any of these things. Yeah, of course he'd liked her and all, but when he'd say bye to her after a lousy day of school, he didn't feel his heart ache with the effort, and he didn't wish that he could hold her hand forever (he knew how cheesy that sounded, but that's how he felt about Rachel).

Every moment without his girlfriend felt like a thorn in his side, and he couldn't wait to be back in her company. He knew this was probably very unhealthy, 'cause once upon a time he'd been smothered in her presence, but since losing her to Jesse, Finn had become a lot more needy, and that was that.

Therefore, when he slowly began to wake in his new bed, his first thoughts were of Rachel, and how he would spend all day with- _Damn it!_ Finn sat up groggily, glaring straight over at Mike's empty bed. No, he couldn't, because she was working with Mike on her assignment, and he was gonna be stuck with Brittany.

"Is... everything okay Finn?"

Finn realised a little too late that Artie was still in the room, and he'd just seen him pulling faces at an empty bed. "Yeah, just forgot that Mike is working with Rachel today."

His mumble wasn't very loud or coherent, but Artie seemed to understand since he nodded glumly. "And Tina is with Puck, which I'm not too happy about." Artie's skin turned a deathly pale of white as he glanced over at Puck's bed, though the person in question was still fast asleep. "It's not personal, I mean, Puck is growing on me, but he's a bit of a-"

"An asshole and a player?" suggested Finn with a yawn.

Artie pushed his glasses further onto his nose. "Well, I suppose so. But I was kind of hoping to spend my vacation with Tina, not that I have a problem with Quinn or anything." Finn nodded in complete understanding. At least Mike wasn't a womaniser... actually, Finn had no idea if he was or not; he never really mentioned his love life.

"At least it's only for one day man," said Finn groggily, trying to convince himself in the process. "We just have to kick out some awesome tunes and then Mr Schue can let us have some fun."

Artie smiled gratefully. "You're right of course. Tina's not my property or anything." It was strange how Finn had been thinking the exact same thing; Rachel wasn't his property (he wasn't sexist or whatever) but she was his girlfriend, and Tina was Artie's, and that meant that they were entitled to be in their company and stuff. Finn rubbed his temple with his large hands; he was tired and confused and a little more than jealous.

"I'm gonna go get a shower," he yawned as he started searching for his wash bag and towel. Whilst looking, Finn tried to occupy himself with thoughts of the day ahead, but as always, he could only think about one girl. He knew that Rachel would put her heart into her assignment despite her reservations about working with Mike, and he knew that Mike wouldn't appreciate her talent like he did (amongst other things... wait, no, it was too early for fantasies about Rachael's butt). He tried to focus on his own partner, but he could only remember the date he'd been on with Brittany, and he felt guilty and tired and pissed all over again. With a huge groan and a crack of the shoulder that didn't sound healthy, Finn dragged his items from his tightly packed suitcase and headed towards the door.

"See you later Artie." He smiled over his shoulder at the boy who smiled back. Though they didn't talk together often, they'd come so far since the day Finn had saved Artie from the portable toilets, and that was definitely a good thing.

"Bye Finn."

Finn carefully and quietly opened the bedroom door and closed it behind him as he left, only now noticing how his pyjama pants hung loosely on his hips and how his vest stuck to his chest with the heat. He didn't care if the girls were already up to witness his scruffy appearance, because he really needed to get a shower, and he wasn't gonna bother dressing to only take off his clothes again.

"Damn white boy, you look like a mess."

Finn managed a crestfallen pout in Mercedes' general direction. "I need a shower," he mumbled as he dragged himself towards the biggest bathroom.

"Please Mercedes, this is Finn at one of his better morning moments. You don't want to know how he looks usually, especially since he forgets to wear pants now and again." Mercedes giggled with Kurt, though Finn failed to see the funny side of it. He and Kurt had sorted out some of their differences since the dreaded faggy incident, and though he trusted him more, Finn still felt a little uncomfortable in situations like these. It was really stupid, but he was worried that Kurt was secretly peering through keyholes and stuff to catch a glimpse of some flesh, and after making himself paranoid, Finn had gone out and bought ten pairs of thick pyjamas.

"Whatever. If Brittany asks for me, tell her where I am, okay?"

Kurt gave a half heartened shrug. "I guess. Do you want me to send her in after you?" Finn was sure his whole body blushed at the very suggestion, but not out of excitement; he was embarrassed and furious at the same time. Once he made sure the bathroom was clear, Finn entered and slammed the door shut, pretending that Kurt's well moisturised face was caught in the frame.

"Kurt, you can be cruel sometimes, you know that right?"

Kurt smiled coyly at Mercedes. "Of course, but that's why you love me."

**Glee!**

Brittany had been awake since Santana had left the bed, though she hadn't had the energy to get up. Besides, she appreciated having enough room to stretch because although Santana was thin, she liked to wrap her arms around Brittany as she slept.

Brit wasn't really sure what was going on between her and her best friend, but to her credit, she wasn't really sure what was going on at any given time. All she knew was that Santana liked contact when she slept, and Brittany liked having Santana's body pressed against her own. It was more than just the warmth that she enjoyed, but she couldn't put it into words, because she wasn't even sure what it all meant. Of course she loved San, because she was her best friend, and it's like some law that you have to love your best friend. But she loved her little sister, and she loved her parents, and she loved her cat, and was there really any difference? She'd seen the Disney definition of love, and that was all sparkles and talking animals and singing; Santana never wore glitter and didn't have a pet, but she could sing, so did that count? Brittany didn't dwell on it, but just thought about how empty it felt to be in the bed on her own.

"Brit, are you awake?" It was Quinn, whispering so that she wouldn't wake Tina.

"Yes," she whispered back. "Are you?"

"Uh, yes. Are you looking forward to working with Finn?"

Brittany frowned to herself. "Why am I working with Finn?"

"For the assignment Mr Schue gave us?"

"Oh yeah, I'm working with Finn! I forgot about that." Brittany felt a smile spread across her face. Finn was a nice guy and he totally had a good voice. He was the perfect boy to be Rachel's Prince Charming, though he reminded Brittany more of Aladdin. "Can we choose Disney songs?" she asked Quinn.

"Um, probably, but Brittany, you do know that it has to reflect his character don't you?"

She knew that... she just wasn't entirely sure what that meant. "Not really," she admitted. She turned on her side so that as could take in Quinn's face. Brittany admired Quinn. Even after sleeping, the blonde still managed to look so good, especially with all the baby stuff.

"Well, pretend that Finn is Pinocchio." Brittany looked confused but didn't interrupt. "The perfect song for him to sing would be My Little Wooden Head right? At least, I think that's what his dad sings to him. Anyway, you just have to find a song that reminds you of Finn."

"Oh, I get it now. Thanks Quinn. I'm gonna go find Santana to see what she thinks about puppets." Brittany jumped from her bed incredibly gracefully and skipped out of the room, leaving Quinn with her jaw hanging in amazement; that girl was just one of a kind.

**Glee!**

Finn stepped out of the bathroom feeling refreshed and apprehensive. Everyone was up and awake, Brittany was talking away to Miss Pillsbury, and Rachel was still nowhere to be seen, which only reminded him that she was still with friggin' Mike.

"Hey Finn!"Brittany waved excitedly in his direction, a huge smile on her face.

"H-hey Brittany." Finn awkwardly made his way towards his partner and smiled shyly at Miss Pillsbury.

"Morning Finn. Did you sleep well?" she asked.

Finn nodded uncomfortably. "Yes thanks Miss P. How about you?" Finn hadn't noticed Mr Schue's absence until he appeared beside them, his eyes focused only on Emma.

"Uh, well, yes, I mean, it took me a while to get to sleep since I couldn't stop thinking that the bed sheets were dirty and-" Mr Schue cleared his throat, causing Emma's cheeks to flush with colour. With what looked like resentment, she turned her attention to Will while Finn sat beside Brittany, staring down at his hands.

"So, do you have any idea what songs we can sing?" he started, trying to get some conversation going. He had to admit, he did like Brittany, but he wasn't sure that he'd ever talked to her when she was on her own; she seemed to be joined at the hip with someone new every day.

"Do you like puppets?" she asked, with no trace of humour in her voice.

Finn opened his mouth to respond, then closed it again, not really sure what to say. "Uh, like hand puppets, or those ones on strings that dance and stuff?"

Brittany's forehead creased in thought. "Pinocchio isn't a hand puppet, and he doesn't have strings... Is he just a moving tree?"

Finn didn't reply, because he didn't know the answer either. He was about to ask Mr Schue, who was trying to get Miss Pillsbury's attention, when Santana walked in and headed straight for them. Finn internally groaned, because for one thing, he still felt completely uncomfortable anywhere near Santana, and for another, it looked unlikely that they'd get anything done.

"Hey San!" beamed Brittany.

Santana squeezed herself between the blonde and Finn, and didn't even notice the annoyed expression on his face. "Hey Brit. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. Is Pinocchio a puppet?"

**Glee!**

Finn was sure he was going to fall asleep. It seemed like they'd been sitting on the sofa for hours, barely listening to whatever the girls were talking about. It didn't bother him so much that they were catching up, because really, if Rachel had been in the room, he would have done the same. No, it was the fact that Santana had completely ignored him from the beginning. Though he wasn't exactly interested in Brittany's theories about fish (he didn't catch most of it from sheer boredom), it would have been nice to be included.

Therefore, as he watched partners leaving the room, Finn decided to interrupt.

"Erm, Brittany?" His voice wasn't very loud or confident, but at least he was finally standing up for himself... sort of. "D-don't you think we should be working on our assignment? Everyone else has already left to do theirs." Santana faced Finn for the first time, and he was pretty sure that her glare was gonna set his hair on fire.

"You're right I guess. Where shall we go?" asked Brittany.

Finn shrugged as he looked away, not really sure what they were going to do. He finally understood the phrase 'if looks could kill', 'cause Santana was practically snorting steam from her nose. "Is the girls' bedroom free? We could go in there or something..." he suggested, to which Brittany nodded with enthusiasm.

"Yeah, let's do that, then I can show you some of the cool stuff I brought like my pony doll that I take with me everywhere." Finn stood up (and nearly lost his balance from sitting still for so long) and was about to head towards the bedroom, until he decided he wanted to say something to Santana. Since the time he'd had sex with her (worst mistake of his life), Finn hadn't really said more than a few words to her, which meant that he was constantly worried that she'd spill the beans. He wanted to ask her if she could be trusted, but as he opened his mouth to speak, he found that his throat was dry, and that his legs were suddenly very eager to walk in the opposite direction to the girl. Without a word, he walked away from her, trying to slow his heart rate.

"See you later San. This is going to be so much fun!" giggled Brittany, who looked genuinely excited about working on the assignment.

"Do you know what you're going to make him sing?" asked Santana.

Brittany nodded with a grin. "Something from Aladdin I think!" Brittany waved to her best friend before skipping after Finn, who was lingering by the bedroom door, frightened of going in on his own.

"Are you sure no one's in there? I don't wanna disturb anyone..." Finn said, trailing off at the feeling of being watched by a certain Latina cheerleader.

"I'll check." Brittany thumped loudly on the door. When there was no answer, she let herself in, smiling when the coast was clear. "Come in Finn, I won't bite unless you ask me to."

Finn grimaced as he took a tentative step inside. He glanced around the room once and located Rachel's bed immediately. Even though they'd only stayed the one night, it was too easy to distinguish Rachel's personality in her section of the room. Apart from the fact that her bed was made to be completely perfect, a few plush toys were lined up neatly against her pillow (Finn recognised the smallest dog one, since he'd bought her it the day after dinner at her house) alongside a blanket that she used at home (it had been a hand-me-down from her grandmother). Her luggage was stacked tidily beside the end of her bed, and on the wall next to it, just above her pillow, was something that made Finn's heart jump into his throat. It was a photo of him and Rachel, though it wasn't the best one he'd ever seen. Rachel had asked a random old guy to take their photo, and since he was half blind or something, he'd had trouble with the camera, and the two of them had ended up laughing like crazy when he finally shot it. Finn thought he was pulling a ridiculously stupid face, but Rachel had obviously felt otherwise... and there it was, on the wall for all the girls to see. Did that mean Rachel was proud of their relationship?

"Everybody's already seen that photo, and we've all laughed at it," said Brittany out of the blue; Finn practically jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Yeah, I know, I don't know why she brought that one with her..."

"It's because she loves you." Finn looked back at Brittany, who was sitting on her own bed, a plastic horse in her hand. He wasn't exactly sure what to say to that, because while he knew that Rachel loved him (though he still couldn't believe it half the time), he didn't realise that everyone else knew.

"Does she?" he asked feebly, to which Brittany nodded with a smile.

"Of course she does. When we weren't busy daring her to do things, she stared at that photo all night long, and she said that she really loves you." Finn felt an embarrassed grin tug at his lips at this revelation. Brittany started brushing the horse's mane before continuing. "Do you love her?"

"Yeah, I really do," he admitted.

"Then you should tell her that you had sex with Santana."

Finn was glad that he was stood so close to Rachel's bed, because as soon as the words left Brittany's mouth, he fell backwards, almost hitting his head on the wall. "Y-you know about that?" he stuttered, sure that his pulse had just increased fifty times.

Brittany didn't even look up from what she was doing as she replied. "Yeah, Santana tells me about everyone that she sleeps with. Were you really a virgin before then?"

_Oh God, oh God, oh God, this cannot be happening, this cannot be happening!_

"Hey Brit, this might sound uh... haha, look, I _really_ don't want to be having this conversation right now."

Brittany looked up innocently with a smile, as if Finn had just told her that a unicorn was waiting outside the bedroom. "What's the big deal? It's just sex. I've done it with loads of people."

Finn bit down hard on his knuckle to stop himself from making some inappropriate noise. It might not have been a big deal to her, but jeez, it was different for him and... man, he didn't want to talk to her about it.

"Th-that's great Brittany, really, but anyway, these songs!"

"You have to tell her," she said again.

Finn groaned, this time out loud. "Thanks for your input and everything, but this is private." He ran his hand through his hair with agitation, not sure what else to say. "Santana might go telling everyone what we've done, but this is between me and Rachel and-"

"And Rachel will be devastated if she finds out from someone else, or after you've done it with her." Brittany put her pony away so that she could look at Finn properly. "I know everyone thinks I'm dumb, and they're right. I don't know a lot of stuff, but I do know that Rachel is the type of girl who is really fragile over boys. It was really mean of me and Santana to go on a date with you just after you'd split up, and even though she didn't think I was paying attention, I saw how upset Rachel was over the whole break up thing. Imagine what she'll be like if someone tells her about this! Or if, like, Santana admits it in another game of truth or dare!" Brittany pulled the band from hair to let it loose on her shoulders. Like it was no big deal that she'd said something smart for a change, she brushed her blonde hair carefully and slowly, waiting for Finn to finally say something.

"I..." He couldn't manage anymore before he had to sit down again, almost squashing Rachel's toys. "I'm worried that she'll hate me," he whispered, not even sure if Brittany had heard him.

"You weren't together at the time, and she was with that really hot guy with the girl's name... When did he leave glee club?" Brittany shook her head, trying not to get distracted. "It's not your fault that you were both seeing other people, but if you come clean, she'll see it as you being really honest and awesome because boys aren't usually very truthful." Finn opened his mouth to say something (a thank you, an apology, anything, he wasn't quite sure), but Brittany was already onto the next item of the day. "I think you'll be really good singing A Whole New World."

"The magic carpet song?" he said, his forehead crinkling in confusion.

"Yes." Brittany didn't say anything else, but simply stared at Finn, who look away awkwardly.

"Er, okay then, but how does that show everyone who I am?"

"Do you have a pet monkey?" she asked, to which Finn responded with a snort.

"Of course I don't!" Brittany's face fell in disappointment, which made Finn feel unbelievably guilty. "But I uh... I do have a... magic lamp?" It was stupid to lie, and it was even stupider to think that Brittany would believe it, but as her eyes lit up, Finn decided to count his blessings and go with it.

"I have the backing track on my iPod," she said as she began to rummage through her heap of belongings. She pulled a pink iPod nano out of one bag, and a twin set of speakers from another. "Do you know the words?"

Finn rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. He knew _most_ of the words, because come on, everyone knew the words to this song! "What about the girl part?"

"Oh, that's alright, I'll sing with you."

Finn perked up a little at that, because he'd never heard Brittany sing on her own before. "Right, okay then. Let's give it a go."

Brittany set up the speakers and pressed play, and Finn could see the excitement shine off of her like a really bright torch. The instrumental music began to start, and with a sudden onset of nerves, Finn realised that he had to actually sing to her. The song was about love and stuff, and weirdly, he felt as if he was cheating on Rachel by singing it.

"_I can show you the world, shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?" _Finn was singing at Brittany, though he couldn't meet her eyes, and instead confessed his undying love to the patchy wallpaper above her head. _"I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder, over, uh, something and something on a magic carpet ride!" _Damn, he was getting flustered, and he couldn't tell if Brittany was frustrated or not. With a deep breath before the chorus-y bit, Finn forced himself to look at his partner, and he was glad he did so, since the encouragement in her face made his chest swell with confidence. _"A whole new world! A new fantastic point of view! No one to tell us no, or where to go, or say we're only dreaming." _Phew, he was done for the minute, but his relief was overshadowed by his immense curiosity; he _really _wanted to hear Brittany sing.

"_A whole new world! A dazzling place I never knew! But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear that now I'm in a whole new world with you." _Finn clapped lamely when she joined in, and as a result, he missed his cue. Brittany patiently pressed pause to help him get the hang of it.

"I thought you were singing next, with the unbelievable sights... thing?"

"I do, but you have to sing just before it. Let me show you." She pressed her finger against her iPod to rewind, and, sticking her tongue out in concentration, she listened until she had to come in again. "_But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear that now I'm in a whole new world with you,_ and then you quickly go _now I'm in a whole new world with you!" _She stopped it again with an infectious smile. "See?"

"Oh yeah, I remember. Shall we try again?"

**Glee!**

Finn and Brittany had been practising for ages, completely ignoring the fact that Finn hadn't chosen a song for her to sing. Brittany knew the song (and film) off by heart, and she decided that since it was a love song, they needed more interaction; so far, she'd managed to teach Finn to spin in a circle whilst holding her hand, and even then he had struggled.

"You know Brittany, Mr Schue didn't say we needed to dance, and I think there's a good reason for that; I can't dance!" Finn was tired and hungry and he missed Rachel. They'd been cooped up in the bedroom for ages, and he wasn't even sure he could remember what the rest of the glee club looked like (when he tried to picture Puck, he just thought of Brittany, and when he tried to picture Quinn, he just thought of Brittany).

"Okay, we'll try one more time, then we can get something to eat," Brittany suggested; Finn was up for anything so long as it was followed with the word eat.

"Alright, sounds good to me. Let's go from the top." Brittany started the song again, and since Finn was too busy trying to remember his cue, he didn't hear Rachel's quiet knock on the door, and he didn't notice that her and Mike had entered the room. All he was focused on was Brittany, with her bouncy blonde hair and her huge, emotional eyes and her slight obsession for Disney films. She nodded once to remind him, and Finn put everything he had into his performance since he couldn't wait to eat.

"_I can show you the world, shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?"_ One, two, three steps forward, take her hand and smile really goofily. _"I can open your eyes." _Run your finger along her face but don't poke her in the eye._ "Take you wonder by wonder, over, sideways, and under on a magic carpet ride!"_ Another step forward, sweep her into the air and spin. _"A whole new world! A new fantastic point of view! No one to tell us no, or where to go, or say we're only dreaming."_ Careful spin again, bring her close then place her on the floor. Finn was remembering all of his steps so far, but he must have been hallucinating with hunger, 'cause he could see Rachel out of the corner of his eye. He turned towards the door and almost fell through the floor, because it really _was _Rachel, and she looked devastated.

"Hey Rachel and Mike!" waved Brittany before turning off the music. "We're just working on our assignments."

Mike smiled, forcing back a laugh of disbelief. "Awesome. Me and Rachel are almost done with ours, right Rach?"

Finn, who had been staring silently at his girlfriend, almost did a double take when Mike spoke; did he just call her _Rach?_

"Yes, Mike and I have near perfected our choices, so we're obviously very excited about performing tomorrow." Her voice was all serious and fast, which Finn recognised as being a bad omen. He knew what Rachel was thinking, because hell, he _knew _that doing lovey-dovey dancing with Brittany would be weird, and they'd been doing it on their own in the girls' bedroom, and if he'd caught Rachel doing that with Mike, he probably would have been forced to punch the jerk.

"I love you Rachel," Finn blurted out. He realised that it was an odd moment to remind her of this fact, but man, Rachel's hurt face was doing serious damage to his chest, and he wanted to make sure that she knew that. His lameness did the job, because her lips spread into a small, loving smile that made Finn grin like a moron. He didn't care that Mike and Brittany were probably feeling out of place, because when Rachel was in the room, no one else mattered (yeah, he'd turned into a complete sap but there wasn't much he could do about it).

"I love you too Finn. I just wanted to make sure you weren't slacking. I'll talk to you later." Rachel gave a cute little wave in his direction, and then linked arms with Mike, who didn't even complain. No, the douchebag smiled like he was enjoying it, which made Finn's blood boil as the 'happy couple' left him with Brittany. He knew Rachel had done that to make him jealous, and it had certainly done the trick.

"Let's do it once more," said Finn through gritted teeth. "I want to beat the crap out of Mike's lameass song choice."

**A/N: **You guys are the best. Seriously, I got twenty six reviews on my last chapter; that made me feel so special, so thanks to each and every one of you who took the time to review! You're all awesome. (Also, I just wanted to say thank you to lolo5302 for your lovely review. I would have replied, but you don't have an account, so thanks :3)

Back to the fic! :) Another couple down, which means we have just two more before the big reveal! I know the last few chapters have been previews more than anything, but I want the final songs to be a big surprise, and I hope that it was worth the massive wait. All the stories will come together eventually like a big Jigsaw**. **What a nice coincidence :P

Anyhow, thanks again for the amazing feedback on the last chapter! Hopefully you guys like this one just as much, because I love Finn, and I want to write about him forever haha.

Next chapter will be **Artie and Quinn**!


	15. Chapter 15

**This chapter is dedicated to Beth, Miss Slomojo and PercyzBookworm**. **Thanks for voting! :D**

_"Every night I rush to my bed, with hopes that maybe I'll get a chance to see you. When I close my eyes I'm going out of my head, lost in a -"_

"Mercedes!" moaned Quinn, who hid her head under her pillow. She could hear Mercedes' strong voice blasting through the wall from one of the bathrooms.

"Sorry!" she called, and though she stopped singing, it didn't matter anyway, since Quinn was already awake. Still, she was one of the happier people as she woke up that morning. She'd always been a morning person, and knowing that she was going to be working with Artie, Quinn was actually excited about the assignment. As she rubbed at her eyes, slowly adjusting to the light in the room, she thought back to their ballads task with a smile.

_"Ballad, from Middle English 'ballade'. Who knows what this word means?" _

_Quinn sighed internally as she watched Mr Schue writing on the whiteboard. She wasn't in the mood for anything difficult, because today especially, she was feeling exhausted._

_"It's a male duck," said Brittany. Quinn rolled her eyes, and though Mr Schue looked a little confused, he pressed on anyway._

_"Kurt?"_

_"A ballad is a love song."_

_Quinn felt Finn's fingers squeeze hers absentmindedly, and a small smile pulled at her lips. The warmth of his grasp was nice. She missed Finn. Granted, she saw him most of the time at school, but she'd been so preoccupied with the baby and glee and Puck... She stopped herself there. She missed Finn, and therefore, she silently vowed to pay more attention to him when she remembered._

_"And there's a new rule this year. We have to perform... a ballad," said Mr Schue, causing Quinn to shake her head; she was daydreaming more and more lately, and had missed half of what he'd told them._

_"Looks like my weekly letter to the Ohio Show Choir Committee finally paid off!"said Rachel with excitement._

_"Okay, so here's our assignment for the week. I'm gonna pair you off and I want you to pick a ballad to sing to your partner. Look them right in the eye, find the emotion you want to express, and make them feel it." _

_Ballads, huh? Whatever. It would be easy enough singing to Finn, though if the point of the exercise was to be honest with your partner, Quinn wasn't sure that there was a song titled 'the baby's not yours because I'm a bitch who had sex with your best friend'._

_"I pick Quinn," said Finn with a hint of desperation; Quinn squeezed his hand in hers as a way of reassuring him. She was thankful he'd chosen her and not man-hands Berry._

_"No no no no no, too easy. Your partners will be chosen by Fate."_

_"Ooooh," the club said in unison. Quinn bit her lip in apprehension; Fate sounded incredibly ominous._

_"Oooh yeah. I put all your names into this hat. Whoever you choose is your partner." Mr Schue produced the said hat and placed it on the piano, at the same time that Brittany said "I bet the duck's in the hat." _

_"But Matt's out sick today," began Santana. "He had to go to the hospital 'cause they found a spider in his ear." Quinn, still resting against his shoulder, felt Finn wince at Matt's predicament._

_"I guess I'll just have to put my name in the hat for now," said Mr Schue with a frown. "Who's up first?"_

_Puck was the first to take the plunge. He took a few careful, confident strides towards the piano, dropped his hand inside the hat, then opened the piece of paper that came out of it._

_"Mercedes." For a split second, Quinn had hoped that it would have been her name on the paper. She watched Puck with silent longing as he took his seat with the rest. If only everyone knew about the baby's real father; if that were the case, she could have been sitting beside Puck, squeezing his hand instead of Finn's. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind; Puck was a Lima loser, she'd already established that._

_Artie rolled himself forward and pulled a name out of the hat. _

_"Quinn," he said with surprise, though he sounded happy about his new partner. Quinn raised her eyebrows at the news, but she wasn't complaining; she could have been stuck with Berry. _

_Fast forward to the end of the day, and Quinn was sitting beside Artie in the auditorium, gazing down at her pretty little pumps._

_"Again, I'm very sorry I'm late. Mr Sinacori kept me back to look at some equations." Artie's cheeks were red and he was slightly out of breath, but in a way, it made him seem more adorable than usual (wow, had Quinn just called him adorable?)._

_"Artie, seriously, don't worry about it. I've only just arrived here too." That was a complete lie, which was odd, because why was she sparing his feelings anyway? Quinn supposed that glee was having a positive effect on her after all._

_"Oh good, I didn't want to keep you waiting." He pushed his glasses onto his nose before presumably gaining the courage to look at Quinn, since he'd been looking anywhere but at her. "So, um, do you have any ideas on song choices?" he asked nervously. _

_Quinn brushed a piece of hair from her face as she shook her head and shrugged. "Maybe we should go and get something to eat, then we can talk about this later?" _

_Artie's face lit up, which made Quinn feel good for a change. "Sounds great," he smiled._

**Glee!**

Artie wheeled himself out of the bedroom. After talking with Finn, it was reassuring to know that he wasn't the only one who was worried about the day's assignment. At least Rachel wasn't stuck with Puck; she was working with Mike for goodness sake, and he was one of the most honourable guys he knew. No, Tina was working with Puck, and Artie trusted him about as far as he could throw him (and since being in his chair, Artie was a lousy shot). Still, at least he had Quinn. Once upon a time he'd had a huge crush on her, but which straight, red-blooded male at McKinley hadn't? She was beautiful, she was blonde, she was popular, and she was the head of the Cheerios. But Artie, along with every other guy at school, had to sit idly by as she and Finn had become an item, and his very unrealistic dreams had been shot down.

Then she joined glee and soon fell pregnant, and since she'd never even spoken to him before, Artie grew out of his childish infatuation, especially since his new friendship with the stuttering goth was getting stronger.

Of course, after she gave him his first ever kiss, Tina revealed that her stutter wasn't real, and all of a sudden, Artie was sitting by the piano, pulling Quinn's name out of a hat, reading his partner aloud with a renewed excitement that he couldn't hide in his voice. All of his old feelings resurfaced as he realised that she was so much nicer than she'd previously come across before. She wasn't embarrassed to be seen hanging around with him, and even when they passed in the hallways, she'd smile warmly and wave to him, and Artie's heart would race. But he had to remember that she was extremely out of his league, never mind pregnant and dating Finn.

But Finn wasn't the father. He remembered Mercedes telling him about Puck, and he suddenly wasn't sure what he'd ever seen in Quinn. She wasn't the person he thought she was, and God, with Puck of all people! The football airheads had done many things to Artie before, but being locked in the toilet was his worst ordeal of them all. Unsurprisingly, it had been Puck's idea, and with bitter remembrance, Artie acted like the revelation was exciting, when it was actually extremely difficult to deal with. He directed his anger to trout mouth Rachel, when really, he wanted to berate Quinn for her stupidity. Finn was a good guy who didn't deserve to be hurt like that.

And yet, when the news got out in front of the whole club, Artie pitied the fragile, broken blonde who was crying for forgiveness, despite her mistakes. He wanted to believe that she was still a good person, and he bottled up his disappointment, still keeping quiet about his affection... until they arrived at Sectionals. It turned out that Quinn had been a spy for Miss Sylvester, a mole as Rachel put it. Artie thought back to all of the initial problems glee had suffered (Dakota Stanley and the minority drama to name a few), and he wondered how much of Quinn's heart had been in her meddling.

Despite winning Sectionals, Artie gave up on his inappropriate crush. Tina was more than sorry about her lies, and she was interested in him, and thankfully, he found that he felt the same way. When she held his hand, he didn't think about holding Quinn's, and when she placed a chaste kiss on his lips, he didn't imagine Quinn being in her place. He was over Quinn Fabray, and she never even knew that he'd liked her.

**Glee!**

Mercedes was pretty pumped about the assignment. Sure, her friendship with Matt had been a little awkward at first, but he was certainly growing on her, and she was looking forward to another opportunity to work with him. Despite the general annoyance at the assignment, Mercedes saw Mr Schue's reasoning behind it. She knew for a fact that certain members of glee didn't get along well, and in the long run, it would probably hinder their chances of winning Sectionals, never mind Regionals (and Nationals, she thought with renewed hope). Therefore, she was grateful for the opportunity to work with Matt, though she had no idea what song to choose for him. In fact, she wasn't sure what sort of music he was into normally, and she didn't want to embarrass him with some of her choices. Still, it was only early, and she had the whole day to find out what he was really like.

"_If I were a boy, I think I could understand..."_ Mercedes heard someone banging on the bathroom door, and felt her cheeks faintly blushing; she was too used to singing out loud. "Sorry about that!" she called, not sure who was complaining.

"I'm not complaining," replied Kurt with a laugh. "I was just wondering how long you were going to be in there? I really need to sort my hair out."

Mercedes rolled her eyes as she looked at herself in the mirror. "Not much longer," she said, refraining from adding a bitter edge to her words.

"I'll hold you to it," he drawled, though he left her in peace so she could finish her own beauty regime.

Once upon a time, Mercedes had been ashamed to look in the mirror. She was proud to be black, that had never been the issue, but being the size that she was, it wasn't uncommon for strangers at school to whisper snide comments or pretend to hide their food as she passed them in the cafeteria. She'd dealt with it long enough, and after a while, it hadn't been an issue, but she remembered a phase in her life, not so long ago, when she'd hidden her bedroom mirror from sight, frightened to look at the depressed girl who stared back.

This she had never admitted to anyone. For a start, she hadn't had anyone to talk to until glee, and there was no way in hell she was ever gonna tell her mom that she was too fat. No, instead, Mercedes hid her insecurities in her fashion sense, which was a little unconventional until Kurt decided to host an intervention.

God, Kurt, he had been her life saver. Granted, her crush had been a little off aim (she couldn't believe that she'd once thought he was into _Rachel Berry!_), but everything after that had been perfect. She'd never had someone who she could tell everything to, someone who always had her back, someone who could brutally honest yet dependable and hell, just plain amazing.

Mercedes stared at herself in the mirror, looking into her deep, brown eyes. She was comfortable with herself these days. Her attempt at losing weight for the Cheerios had been her one and only blip, and thanks to Quinn, she had a lot more self esteem than before.

Quinn was a whole other story. She had always been one of the girls at school that Mercedes didn't dare approach, and even when she'd joined glee club, the two had never really spoken. Then the rest was a blur, and Mercedes somehow ended up having a funk-off against the blonde, which resulted in the pregnant ex-Cheerio staying in her brother's bedroom for as long as she needed. Between that time, the two unlikely friends had become rather close, because there was something about seeing each other in old pyjamas whilst eating breakfast together that made you new BFFs.

"Mercedes, did you die in there?" yelled Kurt. Mercedes couldn't help but smile; she loved everything about her new, glee self.

**Glee!**

Matt was already enjoying his vacation immensely. Unlike other members of the club, he didn't have any doubts, because he could safely say that he liked every single person present, though he didn't know some of them as well as he would have liked. He knew Mike had been a bit apprehensive of working with Rachel, but secretly, Matt was a little more than jealous; that girl could really _sing._

He needed to stop daydreaming. Everyone was awake now, and he could see Mercedes chatting to Kurt, who was looking a little sour faced; probably to do with Santana, who was currently MIA. Deciding to bite the bullet, Matt trudged towards the inseparable couple with a smile.

"Hey Mercedes, did you want to go for a walk to see if we get inspired or something?" She nodded straight away, though looked at Kurt with worry (Matt knew that look, because his mom had looked at him like that too many times). "You can come too, Kurt, if you want?" Mercedes smiled appreciatively as she felt Kurt relax beside her.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll tag along for a bit. I need some inspiration myself for Santana's song."

Matt wasn't sure if he was seeing things, but it looked like Kurt winked at Mercedes, though the gesture had gone as quickly as it had appeared. "Okay then, let's get walking!"

**Glee!**

Artie and Quinn had decided to head out too, though mainly because the house was too crowded. Since leaving Tina to tackle Puck, the two of them hadn't said a word. Quinn was trying to remember the last time she'd spoken to Artie before today, and Artie was trying to remember that he was disappointed with her.

"So, do you have any ideas on what we can do?" said Artie finally. It was really strange, having Quinn pushing him around in his chair. He usually hated people doing it (other than a select few that he trusted immensely), but he didn't want to offend her or anything.

"I think we should do something a bit tongue in cheek," Quinn admitted.

"Oh? How so?"

"I'm not sure. I think we should just choose some ridiculous songs and pretend that the assignment has helped us."

Artie raised a sceptical eyebrow. "You mean to say that you want to disobey Mr Schue's direct orders?" He craned his neck around to be able to see Quinn's face, and with surprise, he saw a devilish grin accompanying a nod. "I'm all for it."

Quinn raised her hand to give him a high five, though in all honesty, she had no idea why she'd suggested this. Maybe it was because with Artie, she knew she could have some fun, or maybe it was because she was annoyed that they had to do this kind of thing on vacation.

"Great. Now's the problem; what songs could we- Hey, Mercedes, Matt!" Quinn waved frantically at the people in question, who had appeared further up the path. Both waved back, and with a burst of inspiration, Quinn pushed Artie towards them at a faster pace. "I think we should make this a group project," she said amongst her steady breaths.

"Sure, why not? Then we can all share the blame when Mr Schue's head explodes at our rebelliousness." Artie felt himself smile when Quinn laughed at his comment. It was nice, being able to converse easily with someone so... well, someone not at all like him. He didn't have any romantic feelings for her anymore (his heart belonged well and truly to Tina), but he still wanted to be her friend, regardless of her past mistakes.

"Hey Quinn, where's the fire?" laughed Mercedes as Quinn ran up to them as fast as she could with Artie's chair. Artie gave a little wave to Matt, who smiled awkwardly, not sure what the big deal was.

"Have you two sorted out songs yet?" Quinn asked, a little out of breath (she _really_ needed to start a proper workout regime after the vacation).

Matt looked away bashfully while Mercedes placed her hands on her hips, smiling at some inside joke. "Not yet," she admitted. "We tried out a few, but really, do you know how hard it is to find songs about amazing black girls who have a gay best friend and who belong to a group of misfits?"

Artie chuckled at her attitude, despite being used to it by now. "I can imagine," he said as he pushed his glasses on further. "Quinn and I were wondering if you'd object to a group project? We're going for something humorous if possible."

Matt frowned a little at the idea, though he couldn't say he wasn't intrigued. His attempt at getting Mercedes to sing a Vanessa Hudgens song had gone done rather terribly, especially since he'd been forced to sing it first so that she could get the rhythm right. And, when the song was called Never Underestimate A Girl, it had been a tad awkward.

Mercedes laughed. "Well, I'm all for it if you are Matt?"

"Of course I am. But uh, when you say humorous..." Matt trailed off before turning his attention back to Artie. "What do you mean exactly?" Both Quinn and Artie pulled a face that suggested they had no idea, until all of a sudden, an evil glint appeared behind Artie's glasses.

"How about we pay a tribute to the wonderful High School Musical films?" Matt felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment, which very rarely happened. He now regretted letting slip to the guys that he had a thing for Miss Hudgens, especially since Mercedes now knew about his obsession. She stopped herself from laughing, because to be fair, everyone had guilty pleasures.

"Am I missing something here?" asked Quinn with a frown.

Matt responded by shaking his head vigorously. "Nope, nothing at all, Artie's just being _really annoying_." He spoke through gritted teeth, which made Quinn even more curious.

"Oh, don't tell me Matt that you love the HSM franchise?"

Mercedes and Artie laughed to themselves as quietly as possible, which only made Matt more embarrassed. "Alright, I do, okay? I may not be a big Broadway buff or something, but I think that the songs are catchy and the stories are kind of cool and-"

"And Vanessa Hudgens is a hot piece of-" began Artie.

"Alright, enough from you okay?" Artie held his hands up in surrender to Matt, who was looking more agitated by the second.

"I think we should do it," said Quinn firmly. Mercedes gave her a look that clearly said 'you're crazy', "No, seriously, I think we should do it. The songs are cheesy and over the top, and we want something a bit silly, right?" She placed a hand on Matt's arm as she gave him a genuinely kind smile. "I'll admit it, when I first saw the movies, I had a tiny crush on Zac Efron, and yes, the songs are a bit childish, but they're popular for a reason." She placed her other hand on Artie's shoulder. "What do you think?"

Artie straightened up his glasses, and with a smile that was less mocking and more serious, he nodded once. "This could be the start of something new," he said dramatically, to which the other three burst into laughter.

**Glee!**

Will sat in his bedroom, staring at a photo in his hand. It wasn't a photo of any great significance, of any special event or celebrity he'd met at the mall, but it was a photo of him and Emma, days before she'd found out about Shelby and April.

Will had never really been one for photographs. Terri had always tried to coax him into making a family album of their adventures, but since it was just the two of them, and since they never went anywhere of interest, their collection should have been called 'Let's see how many poses the Schuesters can do in the kitchen'.

The photo in his hand had been Emma's suggestion. Heck, he wasn't even sure if he owned a camera anymore, but as always, his girlfriend had been prepared, and during a meal out at Breadstix, she'd asked the waitress to take their photo. Will stroked Emma's smile with the tip of his finger. He'd always loved her smile. The dentist had been right to be impressed with her teeth, because every time she smiled, Will couldn't help but smile back, like it was some kind of infection.

He didn't pay too much attention to himself in the picture. He remembered at the time that he'd been caught off guard, and had felt really awkward about a stranger capturing his smile. It therefore wasn't a particularly genuine grin, but looking back, it should have been the nicest smile in the world, because this Will was dating Emma, and that should have been enough to make him ecstatic.

"Will, can I come in?"

Will hid the photo as fast as he could; he didn't think Emma would appreciate him being envious of a past life. "Sure," he called, a tinge of excitement in his chest. Despite it being the second day of the vacation, he and Emma had spent very little time together. She always had something to occupy herself with, and even before they'd gone to sleep, she'd said barely anything to him, despite sharing the same bed.

God, it had been awkward. Will's plan to entice Emma by being half naked in the same bed had failed miserably, since she'd found three spare pillows in the room, all of which ended up between them, separating Will from any kind of contact (this especially pained him, because he remembered a time when Terri had done the same thing).

Emma carefully opened the bedroom door, half expecting Will to be with another woman or something. Of course he _wouldn't_ be, but she didn't trust him at all, and though she'd once thought she'd known him, she wasn't so sure now.

"I'm going to take a slow walk up to the local store. Did you want anything?" She had considered just leaving without letting him know, but she wasn't so immature (at least, that's what she told herself).

"Actually, do you mind if I come too?" He turned his body towards her eagerly, ready to literally run a marathon to prove that he cared for her, but by the look on her face, he knew he was going to be disappointed.

"No, I'm sorry, I just need some time to myself. Sure I can't get you anything?" She knew she was being cruel, but the girl she once was, the girl who would have done everything to please Will, had long gone.

"No thank you, have a safe journey."

The dejection in his voice almost made her change her mind, but Emma was stronger now, and with a tiny, sad smile, she left Will to whatever he was doing. Yes, she'd seen the photo that he'd tried to hide, and it hurt so much to remember the happier times between them. She closed the door, and with a deep breath, left to go on her lonely walk.

**Glee!**

The day of working together was a really long one. Though certain members had practised until they knew the songs off by heart, others had to work through dinner, though apparently that was the price you had to pay for perfection.

However, by 9:24pm, everyone was finally happy with their song choices, which meant that they could integrate with the rest of the glee club again.

Finn and Brittany had, surprisingly, been one of the first couples to finish, though Finn knew that after the performances, he never wanted to hear the word Aladdin ever again. Since Brittany decided to go and hang out with Santana, Finn waited around for Rachel, who had been working tirelessly on her mash-up with Mike. This meant that after they were done, he got to witness his girlfriend throwing her arms around her partner before planting a kiss on his cheek.

"You'll be brilliant tomorrow!" he heard her squeal, which made his fists burn with the need to punch Mike.

"Thanks again Rach, I hope it goes to plan."

_There he goes again, calling her Rach! I should tell her that he's never really liked her before today, but I don't wanna hurt her feelings. Man, jealousy sucks._

Still, at least he got the reception he deserved. He didn't care if anyone else was watching, 'cause when Rachel started to run at him with a crazed, 'I've missed the hell out of you' look, who knew that he was probably sporting the same thing. He held his arms out for her, and as she wrapped herself around him, he buried his face in her hair and inhaled the scent that he was _sure_ he couldn't live without.

"I missed you," she murmured into his chest.

"I missed you too," he admitted openly.

The noise of someone scoffing broke them apart; Puck was sitting on the couch beside their reunion, and evidently, he wasn't impressed. "God, you'd think that Finn's been fighting for his country or something! You do realise that you've been apart for one frickin' day?" Puck threw his hands up in the air. "I swear, if I have to put up with your lovey-dovey crap for much longer, I think I'm gonna have an embolism!"

Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but was beaten to it by Finn.

"So what? I missed her. If you don't like it, don't sit staring at us like some old pervert. Come on Rach, let's go and talk about our feelings and stuff." Rachel's face beamed with affection for the guy who was holding her hand like he never wanted to let go.

"See you later Noah," she said, sticking her tongue out as she followed Finn.

"Rachel, Finn, would you come back a moment? I need to speak to you all." Finn looked like he wanted to protest, but since Mr Schue hadn't been around all day, he figured it was something important. "Puck, would you go and see where the rest of the group are?"

"Yeah, alright then." Puck stood up from his ultra comfy spot, which he was sure Finn was gonna steal as soon as he had the chance, but luckily, Quinn and the rest of the geeks had arrived in time, which meant that Puck could sink back into the space he'd made for his butt. When everyone was sitting down comfortably, Mr Schue stood himself at the front of the living room, making sure he could see everyone properly.

"So, today was the day that you worked with your respective partners, and hopefully, you're all ready to perform tomorrow." Everyone nodded like good little school children, though half of them were dreading when that moment came. "I have an extra task I need you all to complete now." A groan erupted from everyone; even Rachel seemed annoyed at the prospect of more work (she really _had _missed Finn's presence).

"Mr Schue, we're really tired from all the effort and stuff!" moaned Finn.

Mr Schue rolled his eyes. "Oh come on guys, it's not the end of the world! Besides, it won't take you long. All I want you to do is write a little bit of information about the song you've chosen for your partner." Puck closed his eyes with a groan as he let his head rest against the sofa. He wasn't in the mood for this.

"I don't understand..." Brittany said slowly.

"Okay, I'll give you an example. Let's pretend that I had Rachel sing... oh, I don't know, Eye of the Tiger." Rachel frowned at the random song choice, but said nothing. "I'd have to write a small speech on why I chose it, something along the lines of..." Will scratched his chin in thought. He had no idea why he'd chosen that song, but the last thing he wanted was to confuse the kids by changing it. "Okay, I'd write 'I chose this song for Rachel because it's about overcoming challenges by fighting back with more confidence and strength'. See what I mean?" There were a few apprehensive nods across the room.

"How much do we have to write?" said Puck, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. "I don't do essays."

"It doesn't have to be much. You just need to let the rest of the club know what made you choose the song you did. Anyway, don't spend too long on it, it's not immensely important. I want you all up nice and early tomorrow, so don't stay up too late tonight! Anyway, go do what you were doing before, and I'll see you in the morning." Mr Schue headed towards his bedroom, and when the door was closed, everyone checked the clock on the wall; he went to bed at twenty to ten?

"Well, I guess I better go and work on my speech," said Rachel. She tried her best to sound unenthusiastic, but she actually thought it was a brilliant idea, since she knew that some of the members in glee wouldn't understand her song choice due to being... well, a little dense. She was practically sitting on Finn's knee, and when she tried to move, he pressed his face into her neck and groaned.

"Nooo, Rach, I haven't seen you in ages! Do you know how hard it's been to see you with Mike all day long?"

Rachel was glad that the rest of the group had disappeared as soon as they could, because she didn't want Mike to hear what Finn was saying. "Oh Finn, it was only for one day. Besides, while I like Mike a lot more than I once did, I like him on a purely platonic level." She could feel Finn frowning at her vocabulary. "I like him as a friend. Please, you don't have to be jealous." She twisted her body round so that she was facing him, albeit a little uncomfortably. "If I can be honest, while it was nice getting to know him, all I've been thinking about was you. If you were jealous, how do you think I felt when I saw you and Brittany dancing like that?" Finn opened his mouth to protest, but he was met with a quick, loving kiss from Rachel. "Once this whole assignment thing is over with, I can spend the rest of the vacation by your side twenty four seven."

"Yeah, okay then." Finn smiled happily down at Rachel, who was happy that they'd sorted it out between themselves. "Just so you know, though, it might be a little awkward when I'm in the bathroom-"

Rachel playfully hit Finn on the arm, kissed him once more (though she was desperate to stay longer), then she too disappeared to her bedroom, but not before pointing at him with an accusing glare. "Don't forget to do yours too Finn."

"Yeah yeah yeah. Talk to you later Rach."

**A/N: **Yes, I cheated, I combined the last two chapters together. I'm not so strong writing as Matt and Mercedes, so to make it easier, I bunched them all up.

Also, I don't know how feasible it is that Artie had a crush on Quinn, but for anyone who might be worried about the Quinn/Puck, Artie/Tina relationships, please don't fret; I'm not going to split them up. I thought it might add a little more depth to their unlikely friendship, but like I said, you needn't worry if you're not a Quinn/Artie fan.

Anyway, thanks again for the amazing feedback! You're all so nice :)

Anyway, back to this fic. The next chapter will finally be the song one! I'm really excited about writing it, even though it's probably going to be huge. I'll try to update as soon as I can, and as always, thanks for the support, you guys rock :)


	16. Chapter 16

**A few quick disclaimers! There are a few uses of strong language, none of the songs in this chapter are mine, and actually, this is just the first half of the assignment scenario. This chapter is over 7.5k words long, so I thought it would be best to break it down (and it also means I can post this half while working on the rest). Oh, and thanks to Beth and a random reviewer for their suggestions :3**

**Also, if you're not familiar with the songs used in this chapter, you should YouTube them :) Close your eyes, imagine Puck singing instead of Katy Perry, and it will make the experience much more enjoyable ;)**

It was the day of the glee club's assignment performances, and for most of the members, they were a little worried about what was to come. Quinn, who had barely slept with nerves, felt that their High School Musical rendition was suddenly a bad idea, because for one thing, four of them were involved when they were supposed to work in pairs, and for another, it just didn't seem as funny as she'd previously thought. Mr Schue had seemed a little agitated of late, and Quinn had a sneaking suspicion that their prank wasn't going to go down so well.

In the bed beside her, Tina wasn't sure she could go through with her choice either. Puck had given her a terrible song, and she didn't know if she had the courage to perform it in front of the whole group while he sat by and laughed at her. Mercedes regretted letting Quinn coax her into joining their act of rebellion, Santana was a little nervous about Kurt's unknown song choice, Rachel was apprehensive about seeing Finn dancing with his partner, and Brittany... well, Brittany was still asleep in Santana's arms.

It wasn't much better in the boys' room. Finn wasn't looking forward to the complicated dance moves, Artie was worried that he'd forget the words, Matt was sure that everyone would ridicule him about their choice, Mike thought he was going to pass out when he performed, and Puck wasn't sure he was stud enough to pull off a lameass Katy Perry song. Only Kurt felt confident about the day ahead, when he had the most to lose. Though it had been Mercedes' idea to get pay back, she'd told him to change his song since it was too cruel for even Santana to endure; Kurt had ignored her. He wanted to prove to Santana that he wasn't someone that could be pushed around, and despite knowing that it would get her riled up, he was sticking with his plan, even if Mr Schue killed him.

All twelve members of glee club remained silent in their beds, even though they were all awake (Brittany had somehow managed to open her heavy lids). No one wanted to break the emptiness in either room, so instead, everybody listened to the thunderous rain that pounded on the roof above their heads. It wasn't just a quick shower by the sounds of things, and with a dramatic sigh, Rachel realised that this was a fine example of pathetic fallacy, the rain perfectly expressing the feelings running through her body.

"Is that you Rachel?" asked Tina. Her voice was extremely quiet, so much so that Rachel thought she was hearing things.

"Yes, I'm awake. Is anyone else-"

"Sadly," breathed Quinn. "I wasn't sure if I was the only one."

"The rain woke me up," said Mercedes with a yawn.

"Me too," said Santana under her breath. "I'm not looking forward to today."

"Me neither." Brittany stretched as best as she could in such a small amount of space. "Do you guys realise that I've never sung on my own in glee club?" A general murmur suggested that no, they had never noticed that before.

"Shall we get up so we can get this over with?" suggested Mercedes as she sleepily pulled herself from her bed. "Then Mr Schue might actually let us have some fun." She glanced around at the five other people who were sporting not so fashionable bed heads. "I'm claiming the big bathroom." Everyone jumped out at the same time, scrambling with their possessions.

**Glee!**

"Do you think Mr Schue will hunt me down if I make a run for it?" moaned Puck, who had needed a quick visit to the bathroom. "I swear, if everyone laughs I'm gonna kill that Tina chick."

Artie wasn't wearing his glasses, so he glared in Puck's general direction instead. "From what I hear, it fits you perfectly."

"That's not the point. Katy Perry ain't a guy, and that makes it weird." Finn slipped out of his bed, leaving Artie and Puck to fight amongst themselves. He was feeling really ill, and not just in a 'I haven't yet eaten three bowls of cereal' way either. He stumbled clumsily towards the smallest bathroom of the three (one of them was Miss Pillsbury's private one or something) and after he pressed against the door knob, he moaned and cursed when he found it to be locked.

"Can you hurry up in there? I think I'm gonna barf..."

The door opened instantly to reveal a distressed looking Rachel, who had her toothbrush hanging from her mouth. "Oh Fnnn, you dnnt lck so gddd, jsst, erm..."

Finn couldn't understand a word she was saying due to the brush. He kept his mouth tightly shut, either to stop himself from yelling at Rachel, or from being sick all over the floor, he couldn't tell.

Rachel washed away the toothpaste and rushed to his side, rubbing her hand soothingly on his back. "Come in and sit by the toilet," she whispered, leading him in carefully by the hand. She helped lower him down on the floor, and when she was sure he wasn't going to faint and hit his head on the porcelain toilet seat, she rushed to the kitchen to fetch a glass of water. She returned with a banana, some tissues, the water and a box of pills; Finn was very impressed.

"Thanks Rach," he muttered as she placed two small tablets into his shaking palm. Like a mother with a young child, Rachel pressed the glass to his lips, waiting patiently as Finn took hesitant sips now and again. Once he'd had enough, she dabbed at his mouth with a tissue, then forced a banana into his hand.

"You need to stay nourished, and part of the problem might be hunger." Finn didn't complain, and with a thankful noise of appreciation in the back of his throat, he finished the banana in two huge, greedy bites while Rachel dabbed a wet tissue on his forehead to keep him cool. "I don't think you should do your dancing today," she said with a frown. "If you're feeling sick, you don't want to become dizzy with all the spinning."

Finn perked up immediately. His need to throw up disappeared, though he still felt all faint and crap. "I don't know what I'd do without you sometimes," he admitted quietly. Rachel smiled bashfully as Finn shook his head. "No, I really mean that. I don't think I tell you enough, but you're incredible Rachel." He didn't smile, but instead stroked her hand, trying to think of the perfect thing to say.

"Thank you Finn," she said just as softly. "Come on, let's sort out your breakfast. We've got a big day ahead of us."

**Glee!**

The room was silent, apart from the staggered breathing of everyone involved. The adrenaline was pumping hard, and more than once, Puck considered throwing himself out of the window to keep his reputation intact. The loudest noise was the hammering of the rain, which instead of dying down had become even more relentless.

"Sorry to keep you kids waiting." All eyes turned to Miss Pillsbury, who was wearing a huge pink bow in her hair. Rachel winced; even she would draw a line at that accessory.

Will attempted a warm smile in Emma's direction, but she was too preoccupied with every other person in the room to notice him.

"Alright, well, today is performance day! I'm sure you're all really excited about showing off your hard work, so I'm not going to keep you. Though the acoustics aren't brilliant, I'm sure we can make do. All I want to say is don't be nervous; you've all performed countless times before." Mr Schue rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "So, who would like to go first?"

All eyes were on Rachel, naturally. Normally, her eagerness to perform was a pain, but since no one else wanted to volunteer, the club were more than happy to let her steal the spotlight.

"I suppose I can start things off," she said confidently as she stood beside Mr Schue. Rachel never worried about such trivial things as performing. Her only concern was that her mash-up was a little disappointing, but it was certainly too late for regrets. Besides, Mike had told her many times how good it was, so she had to take him at his word.

"Great, thanks Rachel. Mike, would you tell everyone why you chose this song?"

Mike gulped, nodded, then rummaged around in his jeans, producing a small, worn piece of paper. "Uh, yeah, sure." He glanced awkwardly at Rachel, who gave him a thumbs up. "Before we started working on our assignment, Finn told me that Rachel wasn't looking forward to it, and so I decided that she should sing REM's Bad Day to make her feel guilty." Mike could see, from the corner of his eye, that Rachel did indeed look guilty, and he was sure that Finn's angry glare was going to make him keel over at any moment. "Then when we learned more about each other, I realised that she's quite cool, and she's the definition of a shiny, happy person, so this is Rachel Berry's mash-up." Mike let out a sigh of relief; Mr Schue was nodding happily and Rachel looked like she was going to burst into tears. Quickly attaching his iPod to the stereo system, Mike pressed play. The familiar music began to blare out of the system, and with a smile he couldn't fake, Mike got ready for everyone to be amazed at what was to come.

"_A Public Service Announcement followed me home the other day. I paid it never mind; go away. Shit so thick you could stir it with a stick. Free Teflon whitewashed presidency. We're sick of being jerked around; wear that on your sleeve."_

Rachel felt a rush of adrenaline coursing through her body as she sung the now familiar lyrics. Though she'd had a problem with the curse word at first, she realised that it was all about art and interpretation, and if she wanted to be taken seriously as a performer, she had to make personal sacrifices (besides, it wasn't as if she was going to start cursing at everyone after she was finished).

Yes, the lyrics didn't make much sense at present, but she enjoyed the way the song fell off her tongue so easily. Because she was a professional, she made sure to look at each audience member for the same amount of time, though she found herself smiling a little too long at Finn, who looked like his smile was going to break with over enthusiasm. Rachel still couldn't _quite_ believe that he was her boyfriend. They'd been through so many changes since the pair had met many months ago, and at one low point in that time, she had convinced herself that Finn was definitely no good for her.

But there he was, tapping to the song with his foot and smiling like a lunatic, and Rachel was sure she had hit the jackpot.

"_Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, Lord. Count your blessings. We're sick of being jerked around; we all fall down."_

Rachel turned her attention to Mike, who looked like, dare she say it, a proud parent. Granted, he had worked just as hard as her to get this right, and for their new friendship alone, Rachel was so glad that she'd come on vacation after all.

The backing track merged into a new tune (it had taken a lot of work in the dilapidated internet cafe that they'd managed to stumble upon), and with a smile, she couldn't help but feel honoured at Mike's words; 'she's quite cool, and she's the definition of a shiny, happy person'.

"_Shiny happy people laughing. Meet me in the crowd; people people. Throw your love around; love me, love me. Take it into town; happy, happy. Put it in the ground, where the flowers grow; gold and silver shine."_

On reflection, Mike's choices were a little odd. While the titles expressed his thoughts perfectly, the lyrics were strange, though she doubted that Mr Schue could complain about that.

The music changed again as she began singing lyrics taken from Bad Day once more.

"_It's been a bad day, please don't take a picture. It's been a bad day. Please." _

Rachel looked at Mr Schue; he seemed to be enjoying it, as best as she could tell. She noticed the way his head nodded in time with the music, which she took to mean that she was doing fine.

"_Broadcast me a joyful noise unto the times, Lord. Count your blessings. We're sick of being jerked around; we all fall down."_

She was almost there. They'd chosen to keep it quite brief, because half of the time, Mr Schue cut down their performances to keep them short and crisp. Besides, there were eleven more people to perform after her, and Rachel didn't want to keep them waiting.

"_Shiny happy people holding hands, shiny happy people laughing. Everyone around; love them, love them. Put it in your hands; take it, take it. There's no time to cry; happy, happy. Put it in your heart, Where tomorrow shines; gold and silver shine. It's been a bad day."_

Finn was the first one to applaud her (he would have engulfed her in a hug, but he still wasn't too steady on his feet). Slowly, as if waking from a dream, the rest of the group followed suit and began to clap. They had to admit, Rachel Berry really was an amazing singer, even if most of them didn't understand the lyrics.

"That was excellent Rachel, really good." Rachel beamed from ear to ear before taking her seat beside Finn, who whispered something that made her blush. "Alright then, Mike, it's your turn," said Mr Schue happily. Mike gulped, feeling his palms sweating with nerves. He was a big boy; he could do this. He looked to Rachel for moral support and was met with an encouraging smile that allowed him to take his place at the front of the group. "Rachel, if you'd like to read out your reasoning?" Mr Schue probed.

"Sure thing Mr Schuester." Rachel cleared her throat before turning to the group as best she could. Of course, since this was Rachel, she didn't need her speech to be written on paper; she already had it memorised. "The song I've chosen for Mike reflects the incredible talent that is often ignored or put to one side in favour of other, albeit stronger, voices. My choice is all about having the confidence to do things that are usually out of bounds, or that are too daunting to try and achieve. I believe that Mike needs to embrace his talent by being more confident in all aspects of life, not just for other people, but for himself too. Hopefully, by being able to showcase his talent for you today, he will be more eager to go solo in the future." Rachel cleared her throat again as the room fell silent.

"Oh, right, thanks Rachel, that's a very thorough and meaningful look at Mike's song. Whenever you're ready Mike."

Rachel bounced off of her seat so she could sort out the backing track on his iPod, and as the music began to play, she threw her arms around him, causing Finn to look away in case he was sick.

"_Wandering the streets, in a world underneath it all, nothing seems to be, nothing tastes as sweet as what I can't have." _

He'd done it; he'd taken the plunge by singing his very first solo in the group. He didn't focus on the blur of faces because he had the feeling that he was going to forget the lyrics, or something just as stupid. No, he focused on the words that he was saying from the heart, wondering how much Rachel knew about his crush on Tina (she was very perceptive apparently). She was the person he couldn't have, of course she was, because Tina was in love with Artie, and it didn't look like that would ever change soon.

"_Like you and the way that you're twisting your hair round your finger. Tonight I'm not afraid to tell you what I feel about you."_

Mike wished that bit were true. Being brave enough to sing a solo was one thing, but he couldn't even contemplate being honest about his feelings, feelings that had been there long before Artie had ever started dating Tina. Mike stopped pitying himself; being able to perform like this was amazing, and it was thanks to Rachel that he was up here, singing his heart out. He smiled at her, ignoring everyone else in the room.

"_I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have and cannon ball into the water. I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have. For you I will. For you I will."_

Mike pointed at Rachel as he sung the chorus, because he needed her to know that he was singing about her this time. She smiled shyly back, probably because of the way Finn's hand seemed to clamp around her arm.

"_Forgive me if I s-stutter from all of the clutter in my head."_

He smiled lightly at Tina as he sung that line, and was happy to see that she smiled back with a slight wave of her fingers.

"'_Cause I could fall asleep in those eyes like a water bed. Do I seem familiar? I've crossed you in hallways a thousand times; no more camouflage, I want to be exposed, and not be afraid to fall. I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have and cannon ball into the water. I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have. For you I will. For you I will."_

Rachel rushed forward to turn down the volume; like her, Mike had decided not to sing the full thing (which he had to admit he was happy about).

Everyone was in shock (apart from Rachel, who already knew the extent of Mike's talent).

"Mike, that was amazing! I've never heard you sing like that before!" said Mr Schue, who was clapping vigorously along with the rest of the group.

"Thanks Mr S." Mike hurried to return to his seat, though he had to admit that he was loving all of the praise; he really owed Rachel for her help.

"Well, we're off to a great start, so, who wants to go next?" Now that Rachel was out of the way, no one was willing to take the plunge. Finn avoided Mr Schue's eyes because he really didn't want to go next.

"Can me and Finn perform?" Finn groaned out loud at Brittany's question.

"Sure thing Brittany, how about you go first?" The blonde nodded happily while Finn felt his nerves creeping back up into his stomach.

"I just need to get a few things," he muttered, ignoring the disappointed look on Mr Schue's face. Finn stumbled towards the kitchen and grabbed an assortment of tupperware and glasses, and with some form of precision, he arranged them carefully on the coffee table beside the group. From his pocket he produced two unsharpened pencils, and though he probably looked like a doofus, he waited for Mr Schue to say something.

"Uh, well, I'm not going to ask what this about, but anyway, did you want to tell us why you chose the song Finn?"

Finn nodded blankly as he fumbled with his measly bit of paper. "I chose this song because although Brittany isn't the smartest person in the group, she always knows who she is as a person, which is really cool and stuff."

He shoved the paper back into his pocket, ignoring the way Puck snorted at his lame attempt. He knew it was crap after Rachel's huge essay, but Finn didn't have the same way with words. Anyway, Mr Schue seemed to think it was okay, and when Brittany gave him a thumbs up, Finn took that as his cue. A pencil in each hand, he started playing the assortment of items like a drum set, since that's all there was to use. It was probably a really dumb idea, but he could see Rachel practically swooning beside him, and figured it was the best he could do. The noise of his 'drums' wasn't exactly perfect, but at least Brittany knew when to come in.

_"I'm not aware of too many things; I know what I know, if you know what I mean."_

Santana felt a smile creeping onto her lips. She'd convinced herself that Finn was going to give her something cruel, but she knew this song, and it was perfect for Brittany.

_"Philosophy is the talk on a cereal box. Religion is the smile on a dog."_

Brittany couldn't help but smile at that line; a smile on a dog was such a cute idea.

_"I'm not aware of too many things. I know what I know, if you know what I mean."_

Mercedes was mightily impressed. The girl could really sing, and Finn's choice was extremely fitting. She couldn't help smiling at the raw talent of Brittany's voice, and secretly hoped that Mr Schue would give the blonde girl some of Rachel's solos for a change.

_"Choke me in the shallow waters before I get too deep. What I am is what I am; are you what you are, or what? What I am is what I am; are you what you are or?"_

Brittany nodded to herself while Finn continued to drum on his makeshift kit. "Okay Finn, I've forgotten the rest of the words so I'll stop there."

Finn looked a little confused, but did as he was told; he was just glad that she'd pulled it off.

"Wow guys, great job, and very nice teamwork! That was certainly creative!" Brittany gave Finn a high five while Mr Schue shook his head in shock. "I must admit, I'm extremely impressed so far. I was worried that a day wouldn't be long enough to prepare something, but you've all managed to grasp the point of the assignment."

Oh crap. Quinn looked over at the rest of her group with a grimace that was returned by all three. Hopefully, the performances so far would soften up Mr Schue so that he'd find it funny... but she was pretty sure that _wasn't_ going to happen.

"Finn, you ready?"

Finn nodded meekly; man, he felt lousy! He wasn't sure he had the energy to sing, not that he had any choice. "Britt, have you got the backing track?" Brittany jumped up at the sound of her name, plugged in her iPod, and weirdly, she sat herself back down beside Santana. It was odd, 'cause Finn hadn't told her that he didn't want to go through with the dance routine... maybe she was gonna do some improvising?

"Right, Brittany, would you care to tell us about your choice?" said Mr Schue.

The blonde happily produced a large piece of paper, which was quite a surprise coming from Brittany; how much had she written? "I chose this song for Finn because I love Aladdin."

Brittany smiled before folding the paper up, to which Mr Schue looked flabbergasted."Is that it?" he said with shock.

Brittany frowned before gasping and giggling. "Sorry, I forgot about the rest."

Mr Schue sighed with relief, though when she handed him the paper, he found himself massaging his temple in despair.

"You drew a picture of a genie?" Laughter broke around the room, and even Emma couldn't stop herself from joining in under her breath. Mr Schue shrugged with despair. "Well, Finn, show us what you've got." Finn didn't have time to question why Brittany wasn't by his side, 'cause before he knew it, the sickly sweet sounds of the song began (he wasn't even sure who'd pressed start). He tried to stand as tall as possible so that no one would suspect that he was gonna puke at any minute, and with a forced grin on his face, he stared solely at Brittany, avoiding Puck's taunting smirk.

_"I can show you the world; shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me Princess now when did you last let your heart decide?"_

So far so good; his voice sounded okay, and he didn't feel as nervous anymore.

_"I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder; over, sideways and under on a magic carpet ride. A whole new world!"_

Awesome, he'd hit the right note. He'd been worried that his voice would break with the stress or something, but at least he'd nailed it (it was no high B, but under the circumstances he was pleased).

_"A new fantastic point of view! No one to tell us no, or where to go, or say we're only dreaming!"_

Finn smiled at Brittany, ready for her to accompany him... But she didn't. Oh crap, had he messed his part up? He was sure that he'd got his cue on time, but no, everyone was staring at him as the instrumental music kept playing with no Brittany; the blonde just swayed along to the music, not concerned by the lack of singing.

_"But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear, that now I'm in a whole new world with you."_

Finn's gaze snapped towards the voice of his saviour; of course Rachel would come to his rescue. She was like his knight in shining armour, and he was the loser who had been singing Disney songs on his own. He didn't have time to marvel at her voice or the love in her eyes, 'cause he needed to make sure he sung on time.

_"Now I'm in a whole new world with you..."_

_"Unbelievable sights, indescribable feeling, soaring, tumbling, freewheeling through an endless diamond sky. A whole new world!" _

It was so cheesy and soppy, but Finn watched as Rachel covered her eyes with her hands. He stepped forward, prised them gently from her face, and continued singing, a crooked grin lingering on his lips.

_"Don't you dare close your eyes,"_ he sung in the corniest voice he could muster.

Rachel beamed back at him._ "A hundred thousand things to see."_

_"Hold your breath, it gets better."_

Now the couple were completely face to face. It was too easy to forget that they had an audience, because nothing in the world, even making out after a hard day of cuddling, could compare to the sensation of singing together. Finn held Rachel's hands proudly in his own, and with bated breath, listened to the joy and talent that came out of her mouth.

_"I'm like a shooting star, I've come so far, I can't go back to where I used to be."_

_"A whole new world!"_

_"Every turn a surprise."_

_"With new horizons to pursue._"

Finn decided that this song was one of the best songs in the world, because seriously, the chemistry between them felt like sparks of electricity or something.

_"Every moment red-letter._"

_"I'll chase them anywhere, there's time to spare_._ Let me share this whole new world with you_."

His heart was beating so fast that he thought he was going to collapse. How did their voices work so perfectly together? If that wasn't fate, Finn didn't know what was.

_"A whole new world_."

Rachel mirrored his words, and as she sung, Finn couldn't help staring at her deliciously plump lips; if he hadn't been performing in front of his friends and teachers, he probably would have bent down to bite them.

_"A whole new world_."

_"That's where we'll be_."

Rachel beamed at Finn before singing back to him, lost in his beautiful brown eyes._ "That's where we'll be_."

_"A thrilling chase_."

_"A wondrous place_."

_"For you and me."_

The music slowly died out as Finn and Rachel stood beside each other, speechless. Finn couldn't explain it, but singing that song had somehow brought them closer, like he'd just looked into her soul or something; Rachel felt her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Neither of them noticed the applause because they were still stick in the moment, staring wordlessly into each other's faces.

"Nice one guys, nice one," said Mr Schue. "Was there some kind of problem Brittany?" Finn managed to drag his attention away from Rachel, 'since he needed to know why Brittany hadn't sung.

"No. It was Finn's song, and I was hoping that Rachel would join in. She'd make a pretty Jasmine." Rachel felt her cheeks burn at the slightly odd compliment.

"Right... Well, if you two can take a seat, we'll start with the next pair, though A Whole New World wasn't exactly a song about Finn's character was it?" Brittany looked confused (when didn't she?), so Will decided to leave it. If he could be honest, Finn and Rachel's obvious display of affection made him inappropriately bitter; they had no idea how lucky they were.

"Thanks for saving my ass up there Rachel," whispered Finn. "If you hadn't stepped in, I would have probably passed out in front of everyone." Rachel responded by pressing her lips hungrily against his for a few seconds; she deemed it inappropriate to start making out in front of Mr Schue.

"Who's next?" The remaining couples (or groups in some cases) looked nervously at each other. Tina had been informed of the High School Musical tribute act, and as Artie pulled a face like an injured puppy, she decided to be brave for a change.

"Puck wants to sing his now," she said as her heart caught in her throat.

"Do I fu-"

"Thanks Puck, whenever you're ready," smiled Mr Schue, oblivious to Puck's unwillingness. Quinn had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing; she cared for Puck immensely, but that didn't mean that she was against his complete and utter humiliation now and again.

Puck stood up slowly, and with a gruff whisper that everyone heard, he snarled "I'm gonna get you for this you fucking-", which made Emma's ears blush with embarrassment; Tina simply smiled up at him.

"Puck, that's enough!" Mr Schue grabbed Puck by the shoulder, though not too hard. "Stop with the language, and stop being a baby. We've all heard you sing before. Besides, Tina's up next."

Mr Schue let go, which was a relief, 'cause Puck was so close to going all karate kid on his ass. It was joke, and obviously Mr Schue didn't understand that.

"Whatever, just set the damn music up Chang." Mike looked around awkwardly, to which Puck practically frothed at the mouth. "Cohen Chang you idiot, who do you-"

"Puck!"

The boy in question glared angrily at Mr Schue, but stopped himself from giving him the finger."Sorry," he muttered. "Tina, could you please put the music on, princess?" Mr Schue rolled his eyes, though there were a few snorts of laughter (Rachel wasn't one of them; she was eager to get on with the other performances since Puck was being so juvenile).

Tina jumped up to sort out the music side of things, and with a small smile, produced her reasoning for the song.

"I originally chose this song because it reflected Puck's dual personality, but after much consideration, I chose it because it's a feminine song and it's awesome to hear him sing about PMSing." Artie laughed out loud, and was met with a glare from both Mr Schue and Puck.

"Tina, the point of the assignment was to reflect Puck's character..." Will began exasperatedly.

Tina looked offended. "I told you Mr Schue, it's about his ability to be nice then evil."

Will threw his hands up in the air. "Okay, let's hear it then."

Puck fiddled with the stereo, and as the music began to play, he decided to stir things up; screw Mr Schue's work ethic, the Puckamaniac conformed to no one! (apart from his mom, cause she could be scary as hell when he disobeyed her).

_"You change your mind like a girl changes clothes."_

The glee kids sat with their mouths open, gawking at Puck's performance. They all knew he had one of the best voices in the room, but today... well, obviously _someone_ was having a problem with the assignment, because he was singing so monotonously that his voice sounded like a deep hum, or the sound of a bee, or some kind of noise that had the ability to make Mr Shue go red with anger.

_"Yeah you PMS like a bitch, I would know."_

Quinn was the first to start giggling, which was strange, because she didn't laugh often. It was something to do with the way Puck looked dangerously bored as he sung about periods in his ridiculous new voice. When Mr Schue frowned at her disapprovingly, it only heightened the hilarity of the situation, and she resorted to full on squeals of laughter.

_"Yeah you over think, always speak cryptically. I should know that you're no good for me, yeah." _

Puck knew he was being an ass, and that he should have sung the rest in tune, but if there was one thing he couldn't resist, it was the approval of others. See, he knew what he was doing was immature and stuff, but when people laughed _with_ him (no one had the guts to laugh _at_ the Puckerman), it spurred him on to do it even more. His mom used to yell at him for showing off, but hell, when you were entertaining your hot girlfriend and other fine pieces of ass (the girl ones, not the dudes), how could he stop himself? Before he was even aware of it, Puck was at the chorus, which called for some spontaneous sexy dancing.

_"'Cause you're hot then you're cold, you're yes then you're no, you're in _(Puck thrust his crotch to emphasise this bit)_ then you're out, you're up then you're down. You're wrong when it's right, it's black when it's white. We fight, we break up; we kiss, we make up."_

By this point, the group were either laughing or scowling; Finn admitted that it was quite funny, but refused to applaud Puck when he continued to do some dirty moves; Rachel looked away, unable to deal with his immaturity; Quinn was sure that she was going to start stuffing one dollar bills in his pants if he carried on the way he was.

"_You! You don't really want to stay, no. You! But you don't really want to go-ohhh."_

Puck was well aware that Mr Schue was going to stop him at any minute, but he just _couldn't_ reign himself in. As he put emphasis on the word go, he moved closer to Tina, rubbing his body very suggestively that made her eyes widen in shock and Artie's hands dig into his thighs with agitation.

"That's enough Puck!" Will couldn't take it any longer. He slammed his hand against the stereo, and the music stopped at the same time that the laughing did. "If you're not willing to take this seriously then don't bother at all."

"Alright," said Puck with a shrug. To be honest, he couldn't care less, even if he tried.

"Tina, show us what you're got please. I hope that your performance is a little more appropriate."

All eyes were on Mr Schue. Finn frowned to himself; the guy was really pissed. He hadn't seen him this angry since... well, he hadn't really seen him angry, apart from the Sue Sylvester thing, and the whole crap with the glist. He'd _never_ gotten angry because of their performances before, and that was something Finn appreciated, 'cause if he had to teach dumb asses who couldn't dance (okay, just one dumb ass, but Finn really did try!), he probably would have given up ages ago. Yeah, Puck's song was a bit dodgy and stuff, but it was nothing to get angry about.

Tina quietly set up her own iPod, where her dreaded backing track was located. She had a strong feeling that Mr Schue wasn't going to like it at all.

"Puck, why did you choose your song?" said Mr Schue through gritted teeth.

"I chose this song because it's cheesy, it blows, and it is the complete opposite of Tina. This is my form of payback." Puck had definitely said the wrong thing, because Will looked like he was going to blow a fuse. He opened his mouth to probably shout some insult, but Emma decided to intervene. She knew why he was so frustrated, and because she felt ever so slightly guilty, she tried to diffuse the situation.

"Okay then. Tina, why don't you start as soon as you're ready? I'm sure there's a message hidden somewhere in your song." Emma smiled warmly at the goth, who looked like she appreciated the distraction.

"Right, okay, thanks Miss Pillsbury." Tina pressed play, not daring to look at Mr Schue as the music began.

"Hi Barbie!" waved Puck in the best gruff voice he could manage. Will slapped his hand to his head; this seriously wasn't happening.

"Hi Ken!" said Tina in an unbelievably squeaky voice. She was literally going to _kill_ Puck in their upcoming pillow war.

"You wanna go for a ride?" said Puck with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

"Sure, Ken!"

Kurt couldn't stop staring at the spectacle that was occurring in front of him. They were singing Barbie Girl... had Tina actually gone mad? It was probably something to do with being in Puck's presence for a full day, but dear God, he couldn't take his eyes off of the terrible situation. Surely she wasn't going to sing it, _surely-_

"_I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world. Life in plastic, it's fantastic! You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere. Imagination, life is your creation."_

Nope, apparently she was. The song itself seriously didn't suit her, but Kurt couldn't help but admire Tina's talent. She was another of the club that rarely sang solos, and it was pleasant to hear her again, though the song was a bit on the terrible side.

"_Come on Barbie, let's go party."_

Kurt looked distastefully across at Puck, who was once again doing lewd dance moves, even though he was still seated with the rest of them. Tina started giggling. She was forced to look away when Puck's face was too off putting, and when she started singing again, she wasn't sure how long she could last.

"_I'm a Barbie girl in the Barbie world. Life in plastic, it's fantastic! You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere. Imagination, life is your creation. I'm a blonde, single girl in the fantasy world. Dress me up, take your time, I'm your dolly."_

Tina should never have agreed to doing this song (not that she'd had much of a choice anyway), because it meant that Puck got to contribute too.

"_You're my doll, rock and roll, feel the glamour and pain. Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky-panky."_

The music continued, regardless of the fact that Tina was doubled over in laughter. The whole situation was ridiculous! Here she was, singing about dolls and dresses while Noah Puckerman of all people was playing the part of her plastic boyfriend. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to gain some composure, but it really was no use. She wiped at her eyes, only to see Mr Schue standing up again, already turning off the music before she had the chance to apologise.

"Tina, I expected more from you. Puck I can understand, but-"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Puck rose from his seat, all humour gone as he squared up to Mr Schue. Finn could tell from the position of his hand that he was about to punch their teacher sqaure in the face, and wasted no time in jumping up after him, holding Puck back before he made one of the worst decisions of his life. At the same moment, Emma pulled Will away; the annoyance in his eyes terrified her, and the kids were getting upset.

"Everybody just calm down, okay?" she said with as much force as she could muster. Puck shook Finn away, though his initial annoyance had disappeared. "This is supposed to be an enjoyable experience, and regardless of what you think Will," Will raised his eyebrows, making Emma stutter slightly. "Uh, I mean M-Mr Schue, the kids have put a lot of effort into their work. Tina may not have finished her song, but the parts that she did sing were really quite lovely."

Tina managed a tiny smile, disheartened by the sudden mood swings of Mr Schue. "Thanks Miss P," she whispered.

"Don't mention it," Emma replied. "Now, if everyone can take their seats, I'm sure it's Quinn and Artie's turn to perform." Puck reluctantly threw himself down beside Quinn, who squeezed his hand to comfort him, though she probably needed reassurance more than her boyfriend. She glanced awkwardly at Artie, whose face was as white as a ghost. This was seriously going to kill them.

**A/N: **Songs in order of their appearance:

Bad Day/Shiny Happy People ~ R.E.M

For You I Will (Confidence) ~ Teddy Geiger

What I Am ~ Edie Brickell & New Bohemians

A Whole New World ~ Brad Kane and Lea Salonga (Aladdin)

Hot 'N' Cold ~ Katy Perry

Barbie Girl ~ Aqua

There are three more performances to go, and a lot more from a certain angry teacher (don't worry, there is a reason why he's so pissy in this chapter).

Thanks for your reviews!


	17. Chapter 17

**More strong language, and again, the songs used in this chapter are in no way owned by me. The Finchel drama was inspired by and is dedicated to Multiple Sarcasms.**

Matt, Artie and Mercedes were staring at Quinn like she was going to save the day. After all, it had been her idea to something different; Mercedes was suddenly regretting not singing Matt's first suggestion.

Quinn felt terrible, because she had inadvertently let her team down. Something was bothering Mr Schue, and he was angry, and poking fun at his assignment wasn't going to make things better, even if their performance was supposed to be funny. Puck's version of the Katy Perry song had been a little over the top, what with all the inappropriate dance moves, but Tina's had been enjoyable (apart from the laughing, but she couldn't blame her for that).

Quinn didn't know Tina too well, but she could tell that Mr Schue's attitude had rattled her confidence, and for that reason only, Quinn knew that they had to go through with her dumb idea, because they were a club, and they had to stick together. _This is for you, Tina_, thought Quinn as she rose from her seat.

"Artie, your explanation?" Mr Schue was using his unimpressed voice, the same one that he'd used after Push It, and the one that he'd used after the vitamin D incident, and the one he'd used after the mattress commercial, and... Artie didn't have the heart to remember any more examples, because it was confidence that he needed, not guilt and nerves.

"A-actually Mr Schue, I don't have one." He wanted to look anywhere else than at the eyes of the angry teacher, but he thought back to what he'd told Tina at the end of school; it was his mission to be a hero, and if that meant standing up to the evil twin of Mr Schuester, then so be it. "Quinn and I actually teamed up with Matt and Mercedes to perform a song that speaks for itself." He rolled himself beside Quinn, whose knees were practically knocking against each other with stage fright. At least they had strength in numbers?

"Fine. Mercedes, Matt, do whatever it is you're doing." Mr Schuester sounded like he'd given up, and Artie breathed a silent sigh of relief; so far so good. The two other members of their group took their places, and once Matt had sorted out the music, it was show time.

"Hey, you, black girl."

Mercedes looked over at Artie and exaggerated a frown of surprise while Matt and Quinn stood back to back, pretending not to see each other.

"You talkin' to me?" Mercedes replied in a tone that was meant to sound outraged, causing Rachel to roll her eyes; acting lessons certainly couldn't hurt.

"Yeah, I am. I hear you've got a sweet voice. Maybe we should be friends." Artie was trying his best to make his words more fluid, but even he could tell that he sounded like a robot.

"Why is that?" asked Mercedes with a shimmy of her body. She, on the other hand, thought she was a pretty decent actress (she _knew_ she should have been the star of that damn mattress commercial).

"Because," Artie said with a huge, fake grin, "I have a sweet voice too!" Quinn and Matt turned to Artie at the same time.

Quinn held her hands to her face in mock surprise. "Oh my goodness! I've been sitting next to you in Spanish for three years, and I never even told you that I have a sweet voice too!" The script was supposed to be lousy, that was the whole point, but the acting wasn't. Quinn was slightly better than the other two, but since they weren't doing as well as they'd rehearsed, she hoped they could pretend that the tackiness was intended.

"No way, this is crazy!" exclaimed Matt. "I love to sing in the shower, and my ability is pretty cool!" Quinn nudged him in the side as inconspicuously as she could. "I mean, uh, it's pretty sweet!"

No one dared look in Mr Schue's direction. If it had been any other day, he probably would have found it funny. Now, along with the rest of his group, Matt was having second thoughts; he didn't like seeing Mr Schue angry, it just didn't suit him.

"Hit it!" yelled Artie, which was Matt's cue to start the music (yes, he had the karaoke versions on his iPod), and all at once, the group began to do their own interpretive dance moves.

_"It's hard to believe that I couldn't see you were always there beside me."_

There was no looking back; the words had left Artie's mouth, and that meant that they had to go through with it, or risk looking like a bunch of idiots (though Matt probably would have preferred that). Regardless of the song choice, Artie was still singing it with style. His deep, strong voice cancelled out any of the cheesiness, and before she knew it, Quinn was happy to sing her line:

"_Thought I was alone with no one to hold, but you were always right beside me."_

Quinn smiled warmly at Artie, as if to say 'thank goodness we did this'. Embarrassment aside, it felt good to be singing with Artie, and even better when Mercedes belted out her line:

"_This feeling's like no other! I want you to know..."_

They hadn't really practised any choreography , so as the group started singing the chorus, Matt stepped closer towards Quinn and Mercedes, and with a slightly bashful smile, took both of their hands in his, which Quinn did the same with Artie. Santana rolled her eyes at the over-the-top affection in front of her, though secretly, she was envious of their newfound connection.

"_I've never had someone that knows me like you do, the way you do. I've never had someone as good for me as you, no one like you."_

Three pairs of eyes turned in Matt's direction, which made his skin tingle slightly.

"_So lonely before I finally found what I've been looking for."_

Having a slight solo was nice (granted that it was only a few words). In the short space of time that the four had been working together, Matt felt like he had finally been taken seriously. Sure, they'd laughed for a while about his Vanessa Hudgens thing, but after that, they'd listened to his ideas, they'd smiled at his jokes, and they'd clapped at his singing. Matt had never really had many friends until joining glee, so it was very refreshing to know people who cared about his welfare.

"_So good to be seen," _sang Artie.

"_So good to be heard," _replied Quinn.

"_Don't have to say a word. For so long I was lost, so good to be found, I'm lovin' havin' you around."_

"_This feeling's like no other! I want you to know..." _sung Mercedes, and before anyone had time to take the whole thing in, the group were singing the chorus again. The music slowly faded away, and though slightly out of breath, Artie managed a fake, theatrical laugh.

"You weren't lying guys; your voices are sweet!" They all high fived each other, and as if they'd just delivered a groundbreaking speech, the four performers took their seats proudly; they _rocked._

"That was very lovely and inspirational, thank you," said Emma as she lightly clapped as fast as she could. "That song was very-"

"You didn't do as I asked," interrupted Will, who had remained stony faced for the whole performance. Emma looked taken aback, and actually, rather angry herself.

"Wi-Mr Schuester, the kids' song was very meaningful, and if you'd listened to the lyrics, you would have realised that-"

"I asked them to work in pairs, and then they teamed up," began Will, not bothering to lower his voice. "I asked them to write an explanation, and they didn't, and though I didn't expressively mention it, I assumed that they'd take the task seriously." He looked over at Puck and Tina with a frown. "In fact, most of you didn't take this seriously at all." He rubbed his eyes as he let out a deep sigh. "Santana, Kurt, please just get this over with. I'm already bored of the immaturity in this room."

Everyone was speechless (even Rachel, who _always_ had something to contribute). None of them had ever seen Mr Schuester like that before, and frankly, they were worried. Something was obviously bothering him, and they had no idea how to make the situation any better. Santana looked nervously across at Kurt. She still didn't know what song he was going to sing, and if it had been Quinn or Mercedes, she would have suspected some kind of foul play. But this was Kurt Hummel, and he was too much of a wimp to make some kind of statement against her. Santana pulled a handheld mirror from her jeans pocket so that she could check her appearance before her big solo.

She'd made a silent promise to herself. Though she owed them nothing, Santana had decided to distribute her 'I'm sorry for being a bitch' letters after her and Kurt's performances. The idea had come to her when she saw how well certain people were getting on together (who would have thought that geeky Tina would have hit it off so well with Puck?), and she kind of wanted some of that happiness for herself. If giving out her letters was the way to do it, then she was going to give them out, even if it made her look weak.

"Do you mind if I go last Santana?" drawled Kurt in a bored voice. "I need to... prepare myself a little better."

"Sure," she said with a smug smile. "Oh, by the way, I think we got our explanations mixed up. This one's yours." She held out the paper that she'd written on, hoping it wasn't too obvious that they'd cheated.

"Yeah, thanks, I forgot about that."

Santana didn't get one in return, though she assumed that he'd give it to her after she'd sung. "Puck, you ready?" she asked. She'd had the sense to get Puck's help, since she wasn't sad enough to have karaoke tracks on her iPod. As he went to retrieve his guitar, Santana took pleasure in the way that Quinn gritted her teeth; the two of them had so many issues to sort out, and stealing her man probably wasn't going to help.

Once Puck was ready and Santana had rid herself of her momentary nerves, Kurt took the eerie silence as a sign that he needed to read out the explanation that he'd been given. It was the first time he'd seen it, and after scanning it once through, he had to stop himself from snorting indignantly.

"After working with Santana, I've come to realise that there's more to her than meets the eye," he began, putting little enthusiasm into his voice. "People see her as a bit of a bitch, but she's actually very kind and extremely talented." Again, he had to stop himself from bursting into unbelieving laughter, because there was _no way_ that Santana had called herself 'very kind and extremely talented'. "Therefore, I've chosen this song to highlight her free spirit and carefree attitude to life." He almost gagged on the last sentence.

"Whenever you're ready," whispered Santana. Puck gave a curt nod, and though he hadn't had much time to practice, he'd managed to put something together that was half decent. Santana, who was stood confidently beside him, began to sway slowly to the rhythm before singing.

"_Broke my heart on the road, spent the weekend sewing the pieces back on. Crayons and dolls pass me by; walking gets too boring when you learn how to fly."_

She'd always thought that her voice was a little different to the stereotypical diva (Rachel's perfect, boring voice came to mind), but when she sung Shakira's Gypsy, it seemed to suit it perfectly. Santana could see Brittany dancing along with her words, which made her legs feel a little wobbly. Even if most of the losers in the room didn't like her, at least she always had Brittany.

"_Not the homecoming kind. Take the top off, and who knows what you might find. Won't confess all my sins; you can bet I'll try it, but you can't always win."_

Slowly and gracefully, as Santana closed her eyes, she began to dance. She didn't do anything too energetic, because that wasn't what the song was about. Instead, she improvised a dance that including a lot of careful jutting and weaving of her hips.

"_'Cause I'm a gypsy, are you coming with me? I might steal your clothes and wear them if they fit me. Never made agreements just like a gypsy. And I won't back down 'cause life's already bit me."_

Santana sung the rest of the song note-perfect, and it seemed that everyone was silently impressed. Quinn didn't want to admit it, but she thought Santana's performance was an improvement on the original, and Mercedes admired her talent, despite their previous clash of personalities.

Puck rounded the song off with a pretty, delicate riff, and once Santana had opened her eyes, the two were met with a respectable round of applause. Even Mr Schuester looked impressed, and that was saying something.

"Very nicely done Santana, and good song choice Kurt," said Mr Schue. "Now it's your turn." Kurt nodded with a strained smile, ignoring the worried look on Mercedes' face.

"_It was easier than you'd think," Rachel said. "Songs are a great way of expressing things that are sometimes difficult to admit to yourself, and when Finn broke my heart, I knew that my greatest defence was my voice. I thought about all the terrible things he'd done to me, and I let that anger fuel my performance. It's all about passion, Kurt, and though Mr Schue didn't approve of my choice, it felt amazing to get it off my chest."_

Kurt had known, as soon as Rachel had started talking, that he was going to go through with it. Yes, Mr Schue would be disappointed with his choice too, but it wasn't about always impressing others with perfection; Kurt wanted Santana to know that she couldn't just walk all over people, or treat them like inferiors.

"Kurt, you still have my explanation." Kurt snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Santana's voice.

"Oh, yes, I do apologise." He resisted smirking as he handed it over, waiting for her to prepare the group for what was to come.

"In a different way of interpreting the task, I gave Kurt a song that reflects how he feels about me. In keeping with the assignment, Kurt's opinion is broadcasted in the song, highlighting his intelligence and courage. Remember, this song is about me, not him." Santana was right to look confused, and she wasn't the only one. Rachel frowned to herself, and slowly, it began to dawn on her that Kurt might have been planning some sort of revenge on the cheerleader. He set his music up, and waiting patiently for his cue, he didn't hold himself back.

"_You walked into the party like you were walking onto a yacht."_

Will felt his jaw drop. He thought he'd recognised the music, but the words, oh God, the words... He'd sung the song to Terri once as a joke, but he knew that Kurt wasn't joking.

"_Your hat strategically dipped below one eye; your scarf, it was apricot."_

Rachel knew the song too, since she prided herself on her extensive musical knowledge, and anyway, Kurt's choice was fairly well known (or so she assumed). She looked over at Santana, wondering if she'd recognised it at all. The slightly raised eyebrow suggested that she hadn't, but gosh, Kurt was extremely brave!

"_You had one eye in the mirror as you watched yourself gavotte. And all the boys dreamed that they'd be your partner, they'd be your partner, and-"_

Kurt knew that Mr Schuester would stop him once he'd sung the chorus, but that was fine, so long as he had time to get the message across. In his defence, he thought that his singing was pretty good, considering he was risking a punch to the face for the experience.

"_You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you. You're so vain, I'll bet you think this song is about you, don't you? Don't you?"_

Kurt watched as it finally dawned on Santana, and honestly, he was sure that steam was spouting from her ears. He didn't really take in any of the other faces since he was too busy readying himself for the angry Latina to pounce on him.

"_You had me several years ago when I was still quite naive. Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair, and that you would never leave. But you gave away the things you loved, and one of them was me. I had some dreams there-"_

The music stopped (Kurt was impressed that he'd gotten so far into the song to be fair). He'd done it; Kurt had been just as strong as Rachel had been, and the angry onslaught that was to come aside, he regretted nothing. Besides, most of the group were looking on in admiration, especially Rachel, who couldn't stop smiling as she clapped vigorously.

"You say I'm the bitch?" snapped Santana, though her usual harshness was lost in her shaky outcry.

"Kurt, there was definitely no need for that!" exclaimed Mr Schue, who rose to his feet in anger.

"Actually there was Mr Schuester. I wanted Santana to know that not everything revolves around her. She refused to work with me yesterday, so I decided to give her some payback." Kurt gallantly took his seat, receiving many supportive slaps on the back.

"What does vain mean? I thought it was something in your arm," whispered Brittany to a silent, humiliated Santana.

"I thought you were all mature enough to come on this vacation," began Mr Schue, "but I must have mistaken you for someone else, because the kids I know would have put the effort in, and the kids I know wouldn't waste a day planning some silly little songs of revenge. You have no idea how disappointed I am in you all."

Emma wanted to say something. She wanted to apologise to Will for getting him so upset, and she wanted to see the funny side in all of this, but she couldn't, because this wasn't the same person she knew.

Finn felt sick again. A headache had developed over the course of the morning, and with all the yelling and bitching and stuff, it wasn't doing him any favours. He thought about telling everyone to shut the hell up so he could go back to bed, but he didn't get the chance, since Rachel pulled her hand from his grasp and stood at the front of the room.

"I'm very disappointed in you Mr Schuester," she said firmly. Finn had no idea what she was doing, but getting into a fight with their teacher seemed like a really bad idea.

"Excuse me Rachel?" he said slowly. "I don't understand what you're saying."

Rachel liked to have a plan. She liked to know what she was about to say, especially when she was going to stand up against Mr Schue.

"I can't believe that you failed to see the brilliant things that came from each partnership in this room." She looked at Mike, quickly thinking her speech through. "Obviously, Mike and I followed your specifications for your assignment, but it's not about rules and regulations. In one short day, I got to know who Mike Chang really is, and I must say, I like him a lot." She went through the performance order in her head, and when she thought of something to say about everyone, she felt a smile tug at her lips, though hid it for the time being. "Finn and Brittany. Finn chose a song perfect for his partner, and because Brittany knows him so well, she chose a song that brought Finn and I together. Yes, it may not have reflected his character, but it allowed him to sing a duet with me, which is much better." She smiled at Finn, who was grinning like a dummy. "Noah and Tina are polar opposites, and yet somehow, they work amazingly as a team. Their songs were silly and fun because together, then _can _be silly and fun."

"Hell yeah," agreed Puck with a nod of his head.

"Besides, Tina's choice described Noah extremely well, and the song she had to sing was a homage to the perfect blonde stereotype that is the opposite of Tina." Tina smiled warmly at Puck, who grunted in some sort of recognition. "Artie, Quinn, Mercedes and Matt showed that together, they can have a good time by entertaining others. They used Matt's guilty pleasure as a way of showing acceptance for the quirks that make a person unique, and the singing was top notch. The song also identified the fact that they've been around each other for so long, yet they've only just become good friends. Like Miss Pillsbury said, that's very inspirational."

Quinn nodded a thank you to Rachel (which was much appreciated), while Matt silently wondered how Rachel knew about his love of HSM.

"And Kurt and Santana." Rachel looked carefully at the girl in question, who was sulking like a little child. "Santana's choice was indeed very fitting, because the glee girl is different to the Cheerio girl, but I have to admit that Kurt's was too, and I'm sure Santana knows that."

Kurt glanced across at his partner, who had averted her gaze to her shoes. Rachel turned her attention back to their teacher.

"What I'm saying Mr Schue is that rules are sometimes meant to be broken, and good things can come from the result. I can't speak for the rest of the club, but I feel that we are much stronger as a team thanks to your assignment, and we are willing to forgive the rude comments that you've made this morning."

Everyone began to applaud. No one could spin a speech like Rachel, and everything that she'd said was true. They _did_ feel like a stronger group, and like Rachel had said, they were willing to forgive and forget with Mr Schue.

He stood, facing all of the kids that he'd come to know over the last few months, and he felt like such a villain. He'd been wrong to let his personal life affect his judgement and attitude towards the club, and he regretted his outbursts immensely.

I'm sorry," he said simply. "Take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow, if the rain stops, we're going down to the lake. Now, if you can excuse me, I'm going for a run in the downpour. G-good job guys."

Will had disappeared before they could protest, leaving Emma to deal with whatever was coming next.

"Before everyone rips me a new one or whatever, I have something for each of you." All eyes were on Santana, whose voice sounded a little more than hesitant. "Just let me go get them." As she left their company, Rachel held her hand against Finn's forehead.

"How are you feeling?" she asked quietly. He tried to hide his discomfort so that he wouldn't upset her, but Rachel could tell when Finn was lying.

"I'm a lot better Rach."

"Finn..."

"Alright, okay, I'm not feeling so good." He shrugged it off. "So what? We've got the day to ourselves now, so I'm not gonna let my stupid illness ruin that for us."

Rachel looked sceptical. "You're probably too sick for me to kiss you," she said, more to herself than anything, before bringing her hand to her mouth in shock. "I already did, after the Aladdin song! Finn, I swear, if I lose my voice again-"

"I've got them," interrupted Santana, much to Finn's relief. In her hand was a stack of white envelopes, which left a lot to the imagination. "I didn't tell any of you, but I didn't think I was coming on this vacation. My mom had a bit of a problem with my... exploits, and she grounded me. I was stuck in my room all week after school had finished, and I had to make up loads of stories to stop Brittany from visiting." The blonde looked angry for a moment, but it soon passed. "Anyway, I saw the errors of my ways, or, you know, some of them, and I wrote you each a letter. I don't know if you want to read them, but they're yours now."

One by one, Santana distributed her letters, which was a very difficult thing to do. It had been very emotional and draining to spill her heart out to people she barely liked, but she'd done it, and after Kurt's performance, she figured she needed to start putting her newfound 'niceness' to work.

As the group read their letters in silence (though Santana had to whisper to Brittany now and again when she couldn't read her writing), Emma decided to try a spot of baking. All drama aside, the kids had done really well, and what with Will goodness-knows-where, she reckoned that they needed some kind of reward for their efforts.

**Glee!**

The rest of the day was spent as lazily as possible. Everyone was moved by Santana's letters, though she since she made it clear that she didn't want to discuss them, the subject was dropped, and the club simply did what they wanted to do. Finn was constantly in the kitchen, eating the burnt cookies that Miss Pillsbury had attempted ("Who cares if they're a little black? They still taste good to me"), Rachel was watching fondly from afar, Puck and Tina were discussing the pillow war in depth, and the rest of the club were playing Cluedo, though Santana and Brittany were too preoccupied in their whispering to take part.

Rachel didn't mind sitting by herself. Before glee, she'd been alone all of the time, and it was nice to be able to focus on things that were bothering her, like Mr Schuester's angry breakdown. He hadn't returned from his run, which was a little strange, but it was best that he was left to his own devices.

Still, Rachel couldn't help but wonder if it had something to do with Miss Pillsbury, who was currently making some kind of cake with Finn. Not only was she a guidance counsellor, Rachel knew that the two of them had been close... more than close at one point, which made it very feasible that they'd fallen out. She briefly considered that Miss P didn't want to get wet, but she shook that idea away; if a friend was in trouble, getting soaked in the rain to help them was common courtesy.

"I forgot to tell you San! When I was talking with Finn yesterday, I think I convinced him to tell Rachel!" Rachel felt her ears burning. Without making it obvious that she was eavesdropping on Brittany and Santana, she pretended to be playing with her hair as she stared out of the window, though she was actually poised for information. Whatever they were talking about, it was something important, since Brittany was trying (and failing) to keep her voice down.

"Tell Rachel what?" Santana said quietly; Rachel had to strain to hear her.

"You know, that you and him had sex," she said with a smile.

Rachel's breath caught in her throat as she felt her head fill with dizziness. No no no no _no,_ she had to be lying, they _had _to be lying...

"Rachel, are you okay? You look like you're going to faint," said Tina with clear worry in her voice.

"Jeez Berry, you don't look so good!" scoffed Puck. "If you've got the shit that Finn has, don't come anywhere near me." Both Santana and Brittany looked in her direction, and Rachel wished more than _anything_ that they looked confused, or taunting, or something other than guilty. Rachel's eyes met theirs, and both girls instantly looked away; Brittany looked sad while Santana looked regretful.

"Please tell me that's not true," she whispered, unable to raise her voice. Tina and Puck both frowned at each other, while Brittany couldn't face looking at her.

"Nosy much? That was a private conver-"

"Is it true?" Rachel asked again, interrupting Santana's attempt at salvaging the situation.

"Yes, okay, but don't get-"

"What's going on?" asked Finn, who had wandered over with another burnt cookie in his hand. There were a few raised voices, and man, Rachel looked mad. What the hell had he missed? Santana looked up at him, guilt, or sadness, or something weird etched across her face. "Rach, what's going on?"

"You slept with Santana?" she asked in barely more than a whisper. Kurt, who had been about to roll his dice, accidentally threw them at Mercedes in utter astonishment, who was too busy gawping to notice.

"Wh-what? Wh-who told you that? I don't-" Anyone would have been able to spot the guilt and fear on Finn's face, especially Rachel, who prided herself on knowing him. She didn't need to listen to anything else, or receive anymore pitiful looks of apology. She didn't care that she was only wearing her fluffy pink socks, and she didn't care that she was wearing a thin, strap top, and she didn't care that running out into the rain was overdramatic and childish; Rachel wasn't sure she'd ever run so fast as she did right then.

Everything she'd ever thought about Finn went up in smoke. He'd slept with Santana, and it killed her more than anything Jesse had ever put her through. If they'd said he'd slept with Tina, or Mercedes, or even Quinn, it wouldn't have been as hard to deal with. But Santana! She was an absolute slut, easy for anyone, and Finn had succumbed to her over sexualised behaviour.

The rain was just as heavy as it had sounded on the roof, if not more so, and Rachel found herself soaked to the bone in a matter of seconds. For someone so small, she could sure as hell run, even in her now soggy, slippery socks. She didn't know where she was going, but frankly, she didn't care. She needed to be as far away from Finn as possible, and if that meant running until her legs burned, then that was just the way things had to be.

"Rach! Rachel!" Rachel wasn't sure if she was going crazy, but she could hear a voice above the sound of the rain pounding against the ground. She thought back to the time when she'd read Jane Eyre, when Mr Rochester called Jane's name out from miles and miles away; somehow, Jane had heard his pitiful outcry, and she had returned to love him again. Maybe Finn was shouting her name in agony back at the beach house after realising how stupid and superficial and idiotic he had been, but unlike Jane Eyre, Rachel Berry couldn't face going back. Not only had he broken her heart, he'd humiliated her in front of the only friends she had (not to mention Miss Pillsbury).

"_If you find a man that's worth a damn and treats you well,_" she blubbered to herself as she ran, "_then he's a fool, you're just as well, hope it gives you hell_." She never thought she'd ever have to sing that damn song again. Finn was supposed to have _changed_, he was supposed to be _committed,_ he was supposed to be in _love with her!_

"Rachel!" She could hear her name again, but she didn't stop running, despite feeling her chest constrict in the cold (she hadn't thought this through at all).

Finn was trailing behind since Rachel had taken a head start. Damn it, this was definitely _not _how he had wanted her to find out. In fact, he was gonna spill the beans after everything had died down, and he really meant that. Brittany had knocked some sense into him, and _for_ _fuck sake, _Rachel could run! Still, Finn had longer legs and more stamina than she did, so as he continued to sprint for his life after his girl, he just prayed that she'd forgive him for one of the worst mistakes in his short, pathetic life.

Finally, relentless and out of breath, Finn was right behind Rachel, whose hair was flying behind her. "Rachel, please, just wait a sec!" Rachel stopped dead in her tracks, and with no warning, Finn went crashing into her, the two of them falling onto the muddy, rain-drenched grass. Finn's elbow collided with her face, and as he felt his bone hit her soft, wet cheek, he knew that it was going to bruise badly. "Rachel, oh God, I'm so sorry, let me help you-"

"Get away from me Finn." Her voice was cold and impersonal, void of any kind of emotion, and it scared the hell out of him. He was too late; in a matter of minutes, Rachel had banished Finn from her trust and heart; whatever he said would fall on deaf ears. Rachel dragged herself up, attempting to brush off as much of the dirt as she could. Already, Finn could see a large, angry mark on her cheek, and it literally killed him to know that he'd hurt her like that. It took him a moment to realise that she was crying, her tears getting lost in the uncaring rain. Finn struggled in the mud, but once he was up, he was determined to make things okay, they had to be okay, they needed to be okay. He stretched a hand out to her face, but Rachel flinched like she'd been slapped, which made something inside Finn shatter.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, though he was probably too quiet to be heard above the rain. Rachel stared at him, her eyes boring into his face. Her usual love and adoration was replaced with confusion, as if she wasn't sure what she was looking at.

"I should never have given you a second chance," she said just as quietly, rain pouring down her face. "My first instincts were to run, but against my better judgement, I decided to let you in my life again. I should just keep my heart to myself in the future. Thank you, Finn, for helping me work that out."

She turned away from him, as if she didn't expect him to fight back; she really was out of her mind.

"That's it? You hear some silly rumour from Brittany, and you disregard everything we've been through, just like that?" Finn winced at the pain in his chest. Running in the rain wasn't the best idea when he was still ill, but he didn't regret his decision. "I thought you loved me," he said in a choked voice, trying to fight back tears (God, he was such a frickin' _girl_) while hiding his physical discomfort. Rachel turned back to him, disbelieving, hurting like crazy.

"Of course I did," she said angrily. Finn recoiled; past tense. No fucking way, he was _not _going to give up, Rachel Berry was someone that you couldn't afford to lose, he knew from experience. "Finn, why would you question that? I thought I'd made it clear that-"

"That you're not willing to let me explain myself? Yeah you've made _that_ perfectly clear." He couldn't help himself. He _wanted_ to be calm and gentle with her, but everything she was saying was crap, and he wasn't going to stand for it. What was that weird saying? Oh yeah, you had to be cruel to be kind. He hadn't understood it before now, but Finn knew that if he wanted to fix things, he had to be brutally honest; it would hurt Rachel at first, but it didn't mean that he'd stopped loving her. He could see the momentary guilt on her face, and that was enough to give him slight hope.

"Fine. Please tell me all the intimate details about your first sexual experience with Santana, because believe me..." She couldn't continue. Her voice cracked with raw emotion, and her damn eyes wouldn't stop crying! To top it off, the harsh rain that ran down her back felt like a constant reminder of Finn's infidelity.

"Rachel," he said firmly, desperate to grab her by the shoulders, but resisting, "we weren't even a couple! You were dating Jesse St. Fucking James!" Rachel winced at his strong language, but didn't protest. It was that long ago? When he'd told her he hadn't gone through with it, and she'd said-

Oh gosh, she'd said she had. She'd told him that she and Jesse had come together as a couple, and that she'd lost her virginity to him. She'd lied just as much as he had.

_Yes, but my lie wasn't as bad, because I didn't do it at all! He lost his virginity to Santana!_

Rachel was silent. She couldn't look at Finn, couldn't be near him, couldn't touch him. She was a dirty, over the top hypocrite. She couldn't tell him. She'd just belittled him and tortured him, and she was guilty of the same crime.

No, she couldn't think like that! Her lie had been to save face, and she hadn't _actually_ done anything intimate with Jesse.

_Because I wanted to save my virginity for Finn._

"Why did you sleep with her?" she finally said in a hiccup. She couldn't be honest, despite priding herself on her good character. She couldn't face the guilt and the pain that would accompany the truth, no matter how terrible Finn probably felt.

She looked at him now, and he looked like a broken man. His eyes were red raw, blocking the tears that were desperate to fall. His whole body was shaking with emotion, and he looked like he'd step in front of a train to redeem himself.

"I was jealous," he said so simply, so plainly. "You and Jesse were so alike, and perfect, and fuck, he was your friggin' soul mate Rachel! I didn't think I was ever gonna get the chance to win you back, and I was desperate. Santana Lopez wanted to sleep with me, and I just let her, because I was so emotionally _numb._" He threw his head back in frustration. He needed to be able to say the right things articulately and shit, instead of cursing and alienating himself from Rachel. "I was never good enough for you anyway, so I made do with second best... Or you know, tenth best. Man, I can't stand Santana."

Rachel studied Finn properly. He looked sick. She blanched; was that why he was shaking? He was ill, and he'd followed her out into torrential rain to patch things up. His white shirt clung to his body with the moisture; any other day, this would have made Rachel swoon and blush, but she couldn't see anything romantic in her boyfriend being so cold and wet because of her.

"You are good enough for me," she finally protested meekly. "I'm not anything special."

Finn groaned in frustration. "You don't get it Rachel. I'm nowhere near your league. I'm dumb, I'm awkwardly huge, my singing sucks and I'm a douche for all the shitty things I did to you."

Both Finn and Rachel winced simultaneously. Rachel couldn't bear to hear Finn talk like that about himself when she knew it was all lies. Finn couldn't feel anything but a stinging pain in his chest.

"Finn-"

"I need to sit down." With no visible end to the rain or their argument, Finn Hudson collapsed on the grass beneath him, unable to hear the frantic screaming of the girl he was sure had just fucked up his heart.

**A/N: **Songs in order of their appearance:

What I've Been Looking For ~ Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel (High School Musical)

Gyspy ~ Shakira

You're So Vain ~ Carly Simon

Firstly, apologies, I didn't mean to make this chapter so big. My intention was for you guys to find out what's wrong with Mr Schue, but I got a little sidetracked with the Finchel drama. Sorry to leave it at a cliff hanger! I didn't want this to be any longer, so it will be continued in chapter 18 :)

Thanks, as always, for the amazing feedback!


	18. Chapter 18

Time flies when you're having fun, Will knew from experience, but time also stands still when what you want most in the world is to start a new day without aggravation. He couldn't stop running. Running was therapeutic in one sense. The burning in his legs was worth it, because every time his feet pounded into the solid concrete, it was a reminder of his own morality, his own sense of awareness.

_Whatever Will Schuester had been dreaming about was interrupted by an obnoxious, repetitive humming sound that seemed to last forever. With a jolt, he sat upright, disorientated in his bed, shakily looking for the source of the disruption. On his bedside table shook his cell; someone was calling him at... he squinted at the time, 7:10am? He looked to his side, hoping to see Emma smiling back at him, but she'd already disappeared. With a groan, he lifted the phone to his ear before pressing accept._

_"Hello?" he mumbled groggily._

_"Hey son, it's your father."_

_Will instantly woke up; he hadn't heard from his dad in a while (he'd been devastated about Terri and the baby), and for him to be calling so early... was something wrong?_

_"Dad? Is everything okay? Is mom-"_

_"She's in the hospital Will. She checked in last night. I would have called sooner but..."_

_Will felt like he was flying through the air, like he'd left his stomach a hundred feet above him, like someone was suddenly going to jump up and say 'surprise, only joking!'._

_"Oh my God, what happened? Is she o-okay?" He had to stay calm; panicking wouldn't help anyone._

_"She fell down the stairs at about eight o'clock last night. We'd had a fight, she'd been drinking, and she must have lost her footing because all I heard was, was-" _

_Will shook with the agony in his dad's voice. "How's she doing?" he asked quietly. He could hear a sniffle at the other end of the phone._

_"She broke her leg and fractured some ribs, and she um, she also got bruised pretty badly, but the doctors told me that she was lucky. With her bigger frame, she could have br-broken her neck." _

_Will exhaled with relief; the news wasn't great, but it could have been so much worse. "Did you want me to come over and see her?"_

_"Don't be silly son, you're on vacation with your little glee club. Don't worry, I'll keep you updated." _

_Will frowned; he hadn't told his dad about that. "Wait, how did-"_

_"Terri told me. She heard it on the grapevine, and you know Will, she still calls to see how your mom is, which is good of her."_

_Will didn't argue. He was just glad that his mom was okay, and he couldn't care less about Terri._

_"Have you let her know?" he ventured slowly._

_"I'm gonna call her afterwards, just so she feels included. Anyway, I best get going, I have to go and drop some of your mom's things off at the hospital. Have a good time son."_

_"Give my love to mom."_

_"Of course. Bye."_

_His dad hung up. "Bye," whispered Will. He was holding his cell so tightly that he thought he was going to crush it. He felt guilty being on vacation while his mother was in hospital, but really, there was little he could do anyway._

_His phone shook again. _

_"Hello?"_

_"Will Schuester? This is your landlord, James."_

_Bad things come in threes; Will had a feeling this was his number two. Why would his landlord be calling?_

_"Oh, yeah, hi, is there a problem?"_

_"I'm sorry to let you know that you were burgled last night at approximately eleven o'clock."_

_Will silently cursed to himself._

_"Ho-how, I mean uh, wh-when, God, sorry, I'm just a little overwhelmed."_

_"That's to be expected. I was passing after a late dinner when I heard a disruption coming from your apartment. I went to see what the problem was, but when I got there, I was pushed out of the way by two men in balaclavas."_

_Will flinched; he didn't like the idea of unwelcome strangers being in his home._

_"Did they take much?"_

_"Not that we can tell, though they made a pretty big mess of everything. Don't worry Mr Schuester, the police are doing their best to catch the culprits, and extra security measures have been put into place, though you may want your wife to check in to take a look at the damage."_

_"Okay, thank you James."_

_"No problem; sorry to be the bearer of bad news."_

_The guy's mistake about Terri didn't bother him, because again, Will had bigger things to deal with, though asking her to go around wouldn't be such a bad idea. Apprehensively, he punched in Terri's number (he'd deleted her as a contact a while ago), not bothering to think his plan through; he couldn't deal with all of these problems so early in the morning._

_"Will?" answered a confused, slightly excited voice._

_"Hi, Terri, sorry if I woke you."_

_"Oh no, not at all, is there a problem?"_

_He rubbed his temple frantically, trying to rid himself of his exhaustion. "Yeah, actually, someone broke into our...my apartment last night, and I was-"_

"_Oh my God, are you serious? Did they take anything?"_

_Will was too preoccupied with his phone call to notice Emma standing beside the door, waiting so she wouldn't interrupt him. _

"_I don't know; I'm on vacation at the minute so I haven't been able to take a look. I was wondering... I know I can't expect anything from you anymore, but would you mind going to check up on the place? If it's too much to ask then-"_

"_Of course I can Will, I'm glad you thought of me."_

_Will didn't feel the same happiness that was in Terri's voice. If anything, he didn't want her involved in his life ever again, but she was the only one with a key, and he couldn't expect his dad to go round, not when he had Will's mom to look out for._

"_Thanks Terri, I really appreciate it." He hung up. That was his second bad event of the day, but Will didn't want to dwell on that. No, while he was feeling vulnerable, he wanted to invite his dad out for a meal sometime. He sifted through his contacts, pressed call, then began to talk with a smile._

_"Hey, sorry, I know I've just been talking to you, but we should go out for dinner when I get back, just the two of us, so we can catch up. With all the baby drama, I think we need a fresh start."_

_"That would be great Will. I have to go now. Love you son."_

_"I love you too." He hung up, sighed, and was about to pull his vest over his head when he heard a tiny knock on the door. "Emma?" The redhead carefully made her way in, looking more than a little apprehensive. "Is everything okay?"_

"_Y-yes, of course, why wouldn't it be?"_

_Emma's voice shook like a leaf in a tornado. She'd planned to apologise for her behaviour of late, to suggest that they make a fresh start, but she'd overheard something that had destroyed any chance of a cliché Hollywood reunion. Will wanted to go on a meal with Terri because he still loved her? She tried not to judge him, since Will and Terri had been teenage sweethearts, but it hurt to know that he could take her back after everything she'd put him through. Yes, Emma had denied his advances many times, but she envisioned saying yes sometime in the future, once she was sure that his womanising ways were a thing of the past._

"_Look, while you're here, I think we need to talk. Would you mind sitting down?" _

_Emma shrugged herself out of her thoughts._ "_Sure, though this sounds a little ominous." She perched herself on the end of the bed, far enough from Will so that he didn't misread her body language, but close enough that if he proposed, she could jump into his arms... No, that train of thought was very unhealthy for her Will Schuester desensitisation program. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. _

"_I'm so sorry for what I did to you Emma, but I'm sure you know that by now." Emma shuffled nervously where she sat. Will was looking at her like she was the apple of his eye, and after hearing his phone call, she knew that this was no longer the case. "I understand that you're still bitter about it now, but I want to know... Is there any chance of us being a couple in the future, no matter how distant?"_

_Emma's heart stopped for a second, she was sure of it, but not because of her slightly confusing feelings for the man staring at her. He was doing it again! He was fraternising with two women at once, and she would _not_ stand for it!_

"_Will," she snapped, keeping her hands clenched in her lap, "I know that I may come across as a bit of a push over, but I'm so sick of you treating me like one." Will looked confused, but she didn't stop; no, his hurt, overwhelmed expression only fuelled her speech. "There isn't going to be an 'us', because you're just, you're just... you're just like Sue Sylvester." His jaw dropped in shock and outrage. "You both think you're the best, and that everyone should bow at your feet or go weak in the knees if you flutter your eyelashes, but Emma Pillsbury is immune to both of you Will, so... so there!" And she stormed out, leaving Will gawping to himself, trying to comprehend what the _hell _had just happened._

Will stopped to catch his breath whilst allowing himself to enjoy the steady flow of the rain down his back. Emma's outburst had literally come out of nowhere, and on top of everything else, it had just overwhelmed him. That had been the third disaster of his morning, and of course, the rest was history (though he knew it involved a lot of angry remarks and general disappointing behaviour towards the glee kids). He'd have to go and apologise. He'd done his time in the rain, and after reflecting on things, he realised how stupid he'd been. With a deep breath and groan, Will started a slow jog back towards the beach house, readying himself for whatever was to come.

**Glee!**

"You slept with Finn?" asked Kurt and Quinn simultaneously. Santana rolled her eyes with a shrug.

"Yeah, big deal, I've slept with plenty of guys. Finn was just a conquest I needed for Cheerios, alright?" Everyone stared in silence. "Anyway, what difference does it make? In case you've forgotten or whatever, Rachel was dating that Jesse guy, so Finn was totally up for grabs."

Quinn frowned to herself as Kurt felt his cheeks redden. The two of them had both had a crush on Finn at one time or another, so it was surreal to know that he'd lost the big V to Santana. Quinn wasn't jealous, but she did understand Rachel's anguish. Kurt, on the other hand, no longer had any romantic feelings for his sort-of brother, but he still felt as if he was his responsibility; he could have done _so_ much better than Santana.

"Enough about Finn. So what, he's finally become man enough to sex someone up, big deal!" Quinn wondered why she was with Puck sometimes. Practically everything that came out of his mouth was offensive or rude, but the heart wants what it wants, right? "Anyway," he continued, "me and Chang have come up with a crazy awesome plan for Thursday!" Mike looked confused, causing Puck to bite his tongue. "I mean Tina, genius." Tina laughed quietly into her hands. "Anyway, who's up for an epic pillow war?" Puck threw his hands in the air, waiting for his round of adoring applause, but it didn't come.

"What's that when it's at home?" asked Mercedes sceptically.

"It's a big ass pillow fight, with teams, and bases and shit like that!"

Matt shrugged at Mike, who didn't seem to understand the concept.

"So let me yet this straight," began Kurt, "you want us all to hit each other with pillows?" At Puck's enthusiastic nod, Kurt couldn't help but wrinkle his nose. "Well, that sounds... fun?" Puck was about to start ranting, but Tina decided to intervene.

"Haven't you always wanted to hit Puck over the head with a bat, Kurt?" Kurt's eyes widened at the accusation, but he didn't deny it. "If we do this, you can hit him with whatever you can find, you know, as long as it's soft."

Puck snorted through his nose. "Like you could catch me." Quinn raised her hand like she was back in school, to which Tina nodded.

"And what about Mr Schue and Miss Pillsbury?" Quinn whispered the last bit as best as she could, since the redhead was busy trying to make some kind of dessert in the kitchen. "If you haven't noticed, Mr Schue is rather hormonal at the minute, and I don't think Miss P would go for it in case she messed her hair up or something."

Puck wiggled his eyebrows. "Don't worry babe, we have this one covered."

**Glee!**

Rachel wasn't usually prone to panicking since she never let herself get overwhelmed. Everything had a solution, and with patience, she could calm herself down to complete the challenges she faced.

This, however, wasn't something she had experience with. She'd half believed that Finn had been goofing around to try and guilt her into forgiving him, but as she dropped beside his wheezing body, she knew that it wasn't the case, and she was certain that she'd never been so frightened in her short, albeit eventful life. She held tightly onto Finn's hands, because despite being trained in many different areas, first aid was not one of them, and she felt totally useless. What were the signs of a heart attack?

"Finn, Finn, what's wrong?" she said, trying to sound soothing, though she couldn't hide her hysteria. Finn was gasping for breath, which meant it had to be something to do with his chest, right? "Asthma, do you have asthma?" Finn managed to nod as he pulled a hand away to paw at his sodden, dirty jeans. The rain was still coming down hard, which certainly wasn't helping matters.

"Inhaler... pocket..." Rachel didn't hesitate. She stuck her hand into his jeans, fumbling around for the object that was going to save his life.

"Jeez Finn, you need to clean out your pockets." Rachel tried to joke and stay positive, but she sounded desperate more than anything else. "Thank goodness," she sobbed as she pulled the blue inhaler from his jeans. She handed quickly over to Finn, who yanked the cap off and stuck it into his mouth before pressing down hard to let a whoosh of relief straight into his lungs. Rachel hugged herself tightly; she was a blubbering mess. She couldn't stand seeing Finn so vulnerable and helpless, and she couldn't help but think morbid thoughts; what if their fight had been the last thing they'd shared before he died? What if that had been the last memory he had of her? What if-

"Are you okay?" she spluttered, rain dropping from the end of her nose down her chin. Finn looked a little pale, but his breathing was back to normal.

"Yeah," he grunted after a while. "Peachy."

"I didn't know you had asthma," she said meekly.

Finn shook his head. "I don't, but when I'm I'll or stressed, I have a sort of, like, panic attack where my chest constricts. I'm glad my mom reminded me to keep my inhaler around." A small smile rested on his lips for a moment, and Rachel found herself smiling back. It didn't last long. It was as if Finn had suddenly remembered what they'd been yelling about, and a scary near-death experience didn't change anything, however much he wanted it to.

"I can't deal with this right now. If you want to be pissed at me, be pissed." Finn, still a little wobbly, pulled himself up, wishing the damn rain would stop for ten minutes.

"Wait," Rachel said. She jumped up as best as she could; she had to tell him the truth. "I lied too."

Finn had always been pretty accepting of things. He had no problem with Rachel's two gay dads, he'd tried his hardest to embrace Broadway, and he never once judged Rachel. Therefore, the little brunette hoped that he'd be accepting of the truth, because now that the tables were turned, she felt utterly alone and completely fragile.

"What do you mean?" he asked with his trademark face of confusion. Rachel bit her lip, hard enough to draw blood.

"I didn't sleep with Jesse. I told you I did because..." She looked directly up at the forever darkening skies. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time." She waited for his response. She expected frustration, regret, anger, but Finn simply laughed loudly, though it pained Rachel to hear it; it was his fake, 'whataloadofcrap' laugh, which meant they weren't done by a long shot.

"That's great Rachel, honestly. It's weird, because I'm pretty sure that you once told me that you'd be honest with me." Finn pressed his hand against his chest. "Painfully so, remember? Anyway, I'm not going to make you feel as shit as you made me feel, so don't worry." He walked away somehow, though every fibre of his body told him to turn back round and kiss her to death. But he couldn't. Finn needed to show Rachel that he wasn't just going to roll over on her command, despite how much he wanted to.

"I wish I could have been your first!" shouted Rachel. The constant hammering of the rain was like a soundtrack in Finn's head, which made him wonder if he'd heard her right. Painfully, he looked back over his shoulder.

"What did you say?" he yelled back. Maybe it wasn't the rain that sounded so thunderous in his ears; it could have been his heart beat.

Rachel Berry was staring at him sadly, and Finn was sure that he'd never seen something so heart wrenching before. He hadn't noticed what she was wearing earlier, and for the first time, he realised that her top was almost see through with the damp, which meant that he could make out her boobs.

But he didn't look. Finn had fantasised many times about seeing Rachel naked, because come on, he was a guy and she was smokin', but he didn't want it to be like this. He felt like he was invading her privacy, so he looked at her face instead, which was much easier than he'd thought.

Her hair was one of the saddest aspects of her appearance. Finn knew how much she loved taking care of her hair, and he had to admit, as far as hair went, hers was rocking. Today however, her beautiful hair was plastered to her face and neck and head, which wasn't the best look in the world. Bucketfuls of rain water dripped off the ends of it, further soaking her clothes.

But it wasn't even her hair that made Finn extremely sad. He doubted that anyone else would be able to see it, but her eyes were just, just... just empty, and he hated that.

"I wish I could have been your first," she repeated. Oh, right, he had heard her after all.

"I wish you had been too," he admitted. His revelation brought a much needed smile to Rachel's face that nearly reached her eyes.

"It's a stupid wish, but I thought that we could go on that voyage together, you know? We'd be untainted by the rest of the world, unaffected by other partners, awkward beginners together because we're in such fairytale, blissful happiness." Finn had to strain his ears to hear her properly. Though his reasoning was a little more simple, he knew exactly what Rachel was talking about. Sleeping with Santana to make Rachel jealous... what the hell had he been thinking? She was right; they should have done that together.

"I know what you mean," he finally said with a sad little nod.

"I'm sorry for freaking out," Rachel squeaked. "I wish I'd heard it from you though." Finn stepped forward anxiously.

"I was going to tell you tonight, I swear on my mom's life I was." He could feel his chest tightening again, but this time he was prepared. He breathed in a spray from his inhaler before having the courage to run a finger lightly across her bruised cheek. "I'm so sorry about your bruise Rach. You don't know how much it kills me to think that I hurt you... God, you know what? I'm just gonna go. I'm truly sorry." He should have been awarded a medal for walking away, again, but a familiar tug on his hand was better than any golden trophy. He faced Rachel once more, who was smiling hesitantly.

"Can we just sit in the rain for a bit? We need to talk this through." Finn gawped, but didn't decline. Instead, ever the gentleman, he removed his dripping shirt, spread it across the grass, then lowered Rachel onto it.

"So you don't get dirty," he said bashfully. Rachel suppressed a hysterical giggle. She was soaked from head to foot and had already fallen into the mud, yet he was being so cute and thoughtful, and wow, she'd always assumed he'd be well toned, but his chest was... it was breathtaking.

"Thank you," she smiled, looking across at Finn's face rather than his perfectly sculpted torso that was dripping in the rain yet still managed to look so-

_Snap out of it Rachel Berry! There's plenty of time to obsess over Finn's beautiful body!_

"Was Jesse mad when you said no?" His question caught her off guard.

"Jesse? Finn, can we not talk about-"

"Please, just tell me."

She took a staggered, emotional breath."He was very understanding actually."

Finn nodded to himself like he'd just unearthed a clue in some investigation."Oh, right."

Rachel knew he'd been expecting something along the lines of Jesse turned Hulk, but whilst Jesse had been disappointed, he didn't get angry, which had been a huge relief.

"Did you enjoy sleeping with Santana?"

If Finn had been a dog or another type of animal, his ears would have gone back in alarm. "Rachel, I don't think-"

"Please, just tell me," she said in a slightly mocking way. Finn muttered something under his breath, but didn't protest further.

"Not at all."

Rachel's eyes widened in shock; that hadn't been the answer she'd expected in the slightest. Santana seemed to be the type of girl who would be a handful in the bedroom, so to speak, and Rachel would have thought that she'd take no prisoners... obviously, this hadn't been the case.

"Oh, well-"

"She wasn't you Rachel. I know it sounds corny and stuff, but I imagined it to be really meaningful. It's called..." Rachel savoured the blush on Finn's cheeks that made him look so adorable. "It's called making love for a reason, isn't it? But I didn't love Santana, I didn't even like her... but I loved you." Rachel felt her eyes shimmer with unshed tears.

_"I don't like to be alone in the night, and I don't like to hear I'm wrong when I'm right, and I don't like to have the rain on my shoes, but I do love you."_

Finn heard his heart beating loudly in his ears again. She was singing to him, despite the terrible circumstances and the torrential rain and the huge fight they'd just experienced. Not only that, she was singing a song from Coyote Ugly, which they'd watched together before the vacation, and which was pretty romantic (and the singing in it was kind of cool).

_"Love everything about the way you're loving me, the way you lay your head upon my shoulder when you sleep, and I love to kiss you in the rain-"_

Rachel's wobbly, heartfelt singing was cut off by Finn's lips, which had never needed to kiss her as much as they had then. What the hell, kissing Rachel had been the only way to make peace, and by the way she was wrapping her cold arms around his neck, she wasn't opposed to his tactics in the least. Her kisses were fiery and needy, and man, maybe arguments were good, because if it meant making up afterwards then God, Finn needed to think of other things to shout about.

Rachel's head was all over the place. She hadn't planned on succumbing to Finn's charms, but they were new at all of this, and they'd apologised to each other, so why mess around? Kissing him was a sure fire way of letting him know how she truly felt. Besides, she could blame it on the weather; she wanted to stay warm, and Finn was more than happy to help.

Though neither of them wanted to stop what they were doing, a shiver ran down Finn's back, and Rachel felt it instantly. It pained her to do so, but she pulled herself out of Finn's grasp before lifting a hand to his forehead.

"We should head back. You shouldn't be out here when you're sick, and no matter how much I want to continue this very wet make out session," Rachel's cheeks flushed with colour as she realised how wrong that sounded, but at Finn's smirk, she continued, "I don't want your pneumonia-related death on my conscience."

Finn sighed, but didn't protest. "Alright, whatever. I am quite cold." Before Finn could pull them both up, Rachel laid both of her hands on his face, steadying him so she could stare straight into his eyes.

"Even though I have an irrational fear that I'm going to wear this phrase out, I love you Finn Hudson."

Finn smiled crookedly. "I love you too Rach. Now come on, let's get back so we can get dried off. Hopefully Miss Pillsbury has made some more awesome burnt stuff."

**A/N: **I hope the conclusion wasn't too lame, and thank you for your wonderful feedback!


	19. Chapter 19

**A note in advance; I have no idea what the beaches around Lake Erie are like, nor if anything I've said in this chapter is true. This is all fiction anyway, so let's just ignore any glaring errors because it's about the characters, not the landscape ;) **

"Is anyone hungry for muffins?" Emma held a warm tray of homemade treats in her hands as she made her way slowly towards the glee kids, and was too busy trying not to fall to notice the apprehension on their faces. Since nobody dared take one, Artie decided to be polite and brave, and with a fake, enthusiastic smile, he took a muffin from Miss Pillsbury's grasp.

"What flavour are they?" he asked hesitantly, picking slowly at the crisp, hot dough.

"Blueberry," she smiled, placing them on the small coffee table before sitting herself beside Quinn. She'd expected Finn to jump forward first (that boy could really eat), but after scanning the room, Emma realised that he was absent. "Where's Finn?" she said after a moment of silence. A display of slightly guilty faces turned her smile into a concerned frown. "Is something going on that I should know about? Rachel, where's-" Emma gasped quietly to herself. "Actually, where's Rachel?"

Matt rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. The longer they stayed quiet, the more suspicious it seemed. "They, uh, went out into the rain to-" he began.

"To find Mr Schuester!" blurted Kurt out of the blue, "yes, they wanted to check on him since he seemed a bit out of sorts."

Emma felt a tinge of guilt in her stomach, but tried not to dwell on it.

"Miss Pillsbury, these are amazing!" All eyes, most of them sceptical, were focused on Artie, who was eating his muffin as quickly as he could.

"I'm glad you like them," said Emma cheerfully. Puck was next to grab one (he didn't want to look like a wimp who wouldn't try a damn muffin), and in one large bite, he had inhaled it all.

"Man, wheels ain't joshin'. These things are good!" Quinn raised an eyebrow at her boyfriend's enthusiasm, but he was too busy staring at Emma with admiration. "Seriously Miss P, what happened to the cookie things that you burnt?"

Emma stifled a laugh. "I'm actually a pretty decent cook I guess, but I couldn't figure out how to work the oven properly. Mr Schuester set it last night."

Knowing that they wouldn't get food poisoning, everyone happily took a muffin for themselves, mming and aahing as they ate.

"Miss Pillsbury, do you like museums?" asked Puck in the silence that followed the quiet munching of the club; Tina choked at Puck's question. They'd planned to ask Mr Schue and Miss Pillsbury during dinner by subtly bringing the subject up ("Do you like Ben Stiller, Santana?" "He's okay. Do you, Mike?" "Yeah, he was good in Night at the Museum. Hey, Mr Schue, do you like museums?"), not like Puck had just done. Emma, like the rest of them, was taken aback by his seemingly random question.

"Yes Puck, I do actually. Why did you want to know?"

"We should all go to one soon. You know, after we've gone to the beach."

The club seemed to take a breath at exactly the same time, waiting for the answer that would decide their pillow war fate.

"That's a really inspiring idea Noah, I'm sure we can arrange that. Wow, yes, I'm very impressed that you suggested something educational; brilliant. Right, if you kids could excuse me, I just need to make a phone call." Miss Pillsbury disappeared (but not before placing the tray in the dishwasher and wiping away all traces of crumbs). Once she was out of sight, Puck punched the air in victory.

"We have lift off," he said smugly.

"You're an idiot sometimes, you know that Puck?" Quinn had opened her mouth to respond, but had been beaten to it by Santana (and though she agreed with what she had to say, Quinn half wanted to slap her for calling her boy an idiot).

"What's that supposed to mean? She likes the idea doesn't she?"

Kurt rolled his eyes as he made sure his hair was still in place. "Yes, but you've told her that we should all go, and that's not part of the master plan."

Puck snorted it off. "You guys are dumber than I thought. Obviously we just make some crap up about not being able to go!"

"Obviously," said Santana sarcastically. "Hey, Mr Schue, you'll have to go on your own because we've all gotten sick at the exact same time!"

Puck shrugged. "We can go with that."

Kurt couldn't wait to hit Noah Puckerman over the head with anything he could get his hands on.

**Glee!**

Finn and Rachel strolled slowly back to the beach house, chatting quietly about nothing in particular. They were glad to be going back to normality (and to a world where everything was actually dry), but there was a slight problem; what were they going to say when they got there? Their respective exits hadn't exactly been inconspicuous (Rachel lived for recognition and Finn was too damn tall to go unnoticed), and if they just skipped inside like nothing had happened, they feared that the group wouldn't take their relationship seriously (okay, Rachel feared that, whereas Finn was just happy he was still _in_ a relationship).

"Is there a back door we can sneak into? Oh, or maybe we could climb in through the bathroom window?" suggested Rachel, who was unconsciously stroking Finn's trembling hand.

"Yeah, okay, I'm sure I can get in because I'm so small, but we might have a problem with you Rach, since you're so fat and all."

_Shit, wrong thing to say, you're never supposed to tell a girl she's fat!_

Finn glanced down at Rachel, whose face crumpled slowly and painfully.

"Damn, sorry Rach, that was my terrible attempt at sarcasm. You gotta give me a break, I'm still feeling lousy." Rachel didn't reply, so Finn knelt down in the waterlogged grass so that they were at eye level. "Please don't hate me."

Rachel rolled her eyes with a particularly adorable huff. "Finn, I can take a joke occasionally. Besides, I just wanted to make you guilty." She stuck her tongue out at him as he pulled his own hurt face, and slowly once again, they walked back to the house.

"When we get there, I'll handle it."

**Glee!**

"Right, wait, okay, let's just do this." Finn tried to open the door, but Rachel tugged him back looking genuinely terrified.

"Finn, I don't want everyone to see me like this! Santana will laugh at my hair, Kurt will laugh at my outfit, Noah will stare at my breasts and Miss Pillsbury will think that I'm involved in an abusive relationship judging by this unsightly bruise on my face! I don't think I can do this!"

Finn cupped Rachel's face in his hands (though he did so very gently, since he didn't want to accidentally squash her or something).

"Your hair may be soaking wet, but it shows everyone how devoted you are to our relationship. Your clothes may be soaking wet, but they acce- accent- show off your amazing figure awesomely." Rachel's body seemed to warm instantly with Finn's compliments (and his adorable way with words). "Your boobs may be slightly on display, but I'm sure they're awesome cause I stopped myself from looking, and I swear, if Puck tries to get an eyeful, I'm gonna ram my fist down his throat." Rachel couldn't help but smile, as did Finn. "And yeah, about the bruise, I'm really so-"

"It's like a love bite," Rachel insisted with a nod. "Yes, it may look a little more violent, but it was an accident, and I'll set the record straight once I'm suitably dry." Rachel stood on the tips of her toes so that she could kiss Finn's cheek. "Thank you for reassuring me Finn. It's amazing how you know just what to say to diffuse a potentially volatile situation."

"Yeah, I'm good at diffusing stuff I guess." He straightened himself up. "Right, here goes plan A." The two of them didn't knock, but slipped in as quietly as they could. Finn smiled at Rachel, then pretty much screwed himself over. No one had noticed their arrival, but as soon as Finn said "Okay, would everyone close your eyes so you don't notice how much of a mess we look?", everyone turned to look at them (including Emma, who couldn't believe what she was seeing).

A mess was a bit of an understatement. Emma knew that it was raining quite heavily (she was a tad worried for Will's health out there in- nope, no she _wasn't_), but maybe heavily was an understatement. Finn looked like he was made of water, and Rachel seemed to be melting into a pool on the floor. Their clothes were dirty and stained (mud, mud, oh God, that needed to be sorted _straight _away!), and Rachel's top... Emma stiffened. The young girl evidently wasn't wearing a bra, and though she tried not to notice, Emma could _definitely_ see through the fabric. She was a female, she could handle the sight (though poor Rachel would probably be embarrassed), but there were four hormonal boys sitting beside her, and she had a pretty good idea of what they were all looking at.

Emma jumped quickly out of her seat and hurried towards the sodden pair. She was their temporary guardian for the week, and she wasn't about to let them catch a cold (or be humiliated by their peers). "Rachel, let me go grab you a towel, and one for you too Finn." Emma was going to lay a hand on their shoulders, but the mud made her shiver and cringe (though she tried not to show her revulsion). No, instead of freaking out, she found her eyes drawn to Rachel's cheek, where a sore, newly developing bruise shimmered in the light. "Come on, to the biggest bathroom now," she said coldly, directing them without having to touch them. She could hear someone give a low whistle behind her (no doubt Noah Puckerman), and with a deep, steady breath, Emma followed them into the room, locking the door behind them.

"Hey Miss Pillsbury, have you made muffins or something? They smell awe-"

"Did you hit Rachel?" Emma interrupted. Her voice wasn't very strong at the best of times, but having to ask if one student had assaulted another... Gosh, Emma wasn't ready to deal with this, not today. She studied Finn's face, ready for the answer, since she was good at reading body language. She wanted more than anything for shock and confusion to flash across his often smiling face, but it wasn't shock; it was guilt.

Emma sighed to herself, her shoulders shaking. Finn was a _good_ kid, and she would never had dreamed that he would hurt someone physically, let alone Rachel.

_No, that's not true. I was there when he attacked Noah before Sectionals. He's capable of violence; I should have noticed it before._

"It was an accident..." he started, which made Emma clench her jaw in annoyance. Accident certainly wouldn't cut it.

"I'm going to have a word with Mr Schuester, and then we'll probably have to send you home Finn."

"Miss Pillsbury, you have the wrong end of the stick!" said Rachel. Her voice was extremely high and full of emotion that Emma couldn't ignore her. "Finn was trying to catch up with me, but when I stopped suddenly, we collided. We both fell to the ground, and his elbow hit me in the cheek. Finn would _never_ hurt me like that intentionally, how could you believe such a thing?"

Emma felt her eyes widen. Finn, the tallest person she knew, the co-captain of glee club, the quarterback for the football team, the generally nice, slightly dim guy, was crying. It wasn't obvious at first, since he was staring straight down at his dirty sneakers, yet when his whole body began to shake, Emma could hear quiet, painful sobs that made her want to eat her own words (and thoughts).

"Finn, I-" she began pitifully. She hadn't meant to upset him.

Rachel looked like she was about to cry too, but she somehow managed to hold it together as she held Finn's hands tightly.

"Please don't cry Finn, it's okay. I _know_ it was an accident, and you do too, so please, don't cry."

Rachel had never seen Finn cry before. To be completely honest, she didn't think that straight men were capable of it (she'd seen her daddy cry at Moulin Rouge, but come on, that film was moving and beautiful). She'd _certainly_ never imagined Finn to cry before, and the sheer pain in his sobs was enough to break her heart. It was probably due to his huge height and his sunny disposition that made it too much to bear. He was just so _big_, and when he shook, _everything_ shook, which made him look so vulnerable and hurt. And yes, Finn was normally such a bright, happy person, which meant that he didn't _need_ to cry. He was Finn Hudson, what did he have to cry about?

Rachel Berry, because he'd accidentally bruised her. If she hadn't been fighting the urge to weep herself, Rachel would have laughed lovingly at what was happening; Finn cared much more than she'd ever thought possible, and that was _definitely_ something worth celebrating.

"Miss Pillsbury, would you mind giving us some privacy for a moment?" she asked quietly. The guidance counsellor nodded vigorously.

"I'm sorry Rachel, I thought that he, that you-"

"I know," she said with a sad smile. "Thank you anyway." Miss Pillsbury nodded again, and hurried out of the room, leaving Rachel to soothe Finn. "Sssh, Finn, come on, let's sit next to the bath, come on." Rachel managed to direct Finn to the floor (luckily it was a rather warm carpet), and though he still didn't say anything, his sobs were becoming less prominent. "I'm just going to go and get us some dry clothes, and then I'll be back in a moment, I promise." She kissed his damp knuckles, then regretfully pulled herself from his hand. She didn't want to leave him, but staying in his soggy attire would do nothing for his poor health.

Rachel practically sprinted back and forth, not caring about how she looked. She was thankful for her large selection of animal sweaters and leg warmers, especially now when she needed warmth more than anything. Once she'd grabbed her brand new fluffy bath towel, she trotted over to the boys' bedroom, a little apprehensive about going in when no one was around. She threw her own clothes on a random bed so that she could root through Finn's belongings, trying to find something suitable to warm him up.

_Note to self; I must take Finn shopping so he has a more diverse selection of clothing. _

After finally managing to find a jumper that wasn't striped, some pants that looked old but comfy, and two pairs of extra thick socks, Rachel headed back to the bathroom, struggling under the weight. She somehow pushed the door open with her hip, and once inside, she headed straight for Finn with her pink towel. He'd calmed down a lot in the five minutes that she'd been absent which was a relief, but his eyes were very red with emotion.

Rachel didn't say a thing. She knew he'd probably be embarrassed about his temporary breakdown, so she instead focused on getting Finn dry. She unbuttoned his dirty shirt as quickly as she could, and even managed to stop herself from blushing at her second view of his perfect chest. No, she had a job to do, and as softly as she could, she rubbed Finn with the towel, paying careful attention to every inch of skin that was visible. As she finished drying his neck off, an unexpected sound made her jump a mile.

"S-sorry," Finn spluttered, "it just felt really good." Rachel's eyes widened as she realised that the low, humming noise that she'd heard had been coming from Finn's throat.

"Were you _purring_ Finn Hudson?" she said with a laugh. The colour that appeared in his cheeks suggested that yes, he had in fact made a noise of deep satisfaction.

"Thanks for doing this Rachel," he said with sigh. "I don't know what's up with me today. I'm just... I don't... I'm all over the place."

Rachel pressed a finger against his lips. "It's okay, though you're going to have to... well, your pants are really-"

"I need to take my pants off, got it." It was Rachel who blushed this time. His fine, muscular legs weren't the problem (she'd already had the pleasure of watching them in action during basketball season). No, that definitely wasn't the problem; the problem was staring her right in the face; Finn was wearing nothing but his-

Rachel directed her gaze towards the ceiling as she bit her lip; his very tight underwear was the problem.

"Don't worry, I got this," Finn said, snapping Rachel out of her initial shock. "This is the softest towel ever," he whispered to fill the silence. "All we have is really old, scratchy ones 'cause my mom refuses to buy any new ones. Some of those towels are probably older than I am." Rachel managed a smile as she returned to look at Finn (his face, definitely not anything below the waist).

"Here, let me dry your hair," she said softly. Finn didn't protest, because honestly, he was really lazy, and it felt nice for Rachel to be fussing over him. She slowly and methodically rubbed the towel against his hair, carefully ridding him of as much water as she could. "There, as dry as you can be in the circumstances. I brought you the warmest clothes I could find," she said as she handed him the neatly folded pile of belongings.

"Thanks again," he murmured as he pulled his clothes on; he'd never been more thankful for his old things before. "That's all I ever seem to say, so let me return the favour." He adjusted himself so that he was kneeling against Rachel, though suddenly, he found himself feeling really warm, and not just because of the clothes. Was this gonna make things awkward? Her drying his chest was a hell of a lot different to the mirror image, and though he was trying to be a gentleman about it all, he was pretty sure that Rachel wouldn't want him drying off her, her... her boobs. God, if his cold didn't kill him, the current situation was going to.

"Oh, sure, thank you Finn. Just let me, um, how about you help me with my hair?" she suggested, trying to avoid thinking about anything else.

"Sure, sure, hair sounds good. Yeah, good, okay."He tried to be gentle, but 'cause he was so goddamn nervous, he accidentally pulled a little too hard with the towel, and Rachel's eyes watered as a result. "Sorry Rach, maybe you should do it..." He wanted to slap himself across the face. Who knew there could be so many problems with getting dry? He wanted to help her, but he didn't want to invade her privacy and all kinds of other crap.

"Finn, calm down, I'm fine." She gulped quietly at what she was going to say next. "I'm just going to... I'm going to take my top off so, erm, would you mind looking away for a moment?" She felt cruel almost, as if she didn't trust him, but of course it was much more than that. They'd only been dating for just over a week, and there was no way that she was going to expose herself to him yet. Thankfully, Finn was brilliant about it; he scrunched his eyes up extremely tight, giving Rachel enough time to dry herself off and put on her clean clothes. "Okay, you can open your eyes now," she said, to which Finn hesitantly opened one.

Thank God, Rachel was finally dressed. He let out a sigh of relief, which Rachel returned with a beautiful smile.

"Shall we go and try one of the muffins you mentioned? I'm kind of hungry."

"I'd rather stay in here all day to hide my shame," he muttered, rubbing his eyes roughly with his fingers. "Miss Pillsbury thought that I'd hurt you on purpose Rachel. Does that seem like something I'd do? 'Cause she had no problem picturing it." He sighed again. "We've been dating for five minutes and already it feels like we've had a lifetime of drama."

Rachel crawled towards him, and after brushing her damp hair out of her eyes, she made herself comfortable in Finn's lap.

"She only thought that because people often fear the worst. Don't tell me that if Quinn had a bruise on her cheek that you wouldn't suspect Noah for just a second?"

Finn shrugged. "I guess so, but-"

"But she knows the truth. Once you explain to everyone that it was an accident then they'll believe you. Anyway," she ran her finger under Finn's right eye, pretending to brush away the hurt, "there's no way that I'd let some guy like you push me around. I'm much stronger than that." Finn smiled coyly as Rachel pressed a warm kiss against his cheek. "It's just a bruise, and it'll be gone so soon that we'll have forgotten the whole ordeal in a matter of days. As for the drama thing, I'm a high maintenance girl Finn Hudson, so if you can't deal with a dramatic fight in the rain every week, you better take a serious look at what you want from life."

Finn smiled like he'd won the lottery, which meant that they were okay, for now.

**Glee!**

Half an hour after Finn and Rachel's entrance, Will finally made an appearance. His run had turned into a bus ride up to the nearest mall, and after drinking five cups of coffee whilst talking to an intelligent old woman, he'd decided to return to the beach house, apologies ready to be shared.

The afternoon passed lazily once more. After Rachel insisted countless times that her bruise had been nothing more than an accident, the rest of the glee club lost interest in the whole story, and instead focused on the thrilling game of Operation that was taking place between Kurt and Santana; Mercedes was positive that Kurt's scream of "In your face!" had deafened her for life.

Dinner was pretty non-eventful; Emma's homemade chicken pie went down a treat, and once they had Mr Schue's approval on the museum trip, the glee kids went to bed content, looking forward to their visit to the beach.

**Glee!**

Luckily for the group, the rain finally gave up during the night, and was replaced by the welcome relief of the sun. Once everyone was up, dressed and full of Rachel's pancakes, it was time to get going. The general mood was excitement; sure, the day would be spent sunbathing, but it made a hell of a change from being stuck at home. The only person who wasn't looking forward to the day ahead was Finn, who felt a lot worse than before. He'd tried shovelling down antibiotics and eating a ton of fruit and stuff, but he felt really, really shit. He'd asked Mr Schue if he could stay at the house to sleep, but apparently 'the fresh air will do you good Finn, and then we can keep an eye on you'. When he had his back turned, Finn gave Mr Schue the finger.

Though the beach was only a fifteen minute walk from the house, Mr Schue had volunteered to drive them to a busier section where there were all kinds of water sports and rental huts to amuse themselves with. Puck was looking forward to beating the crap out of Mike and Matt at volleyball ("I'm pretty sure that's a woman's game," snorted Santana), while Quinn was simply desperate for some time in the sun (though Miss Pillsbury had packed enough sun block to cater for the entire beach).

Actually, there was one other person who wasn't as excited as the rest. He'd known all along what it was going to be like, but it had finally dawned on Artie that he's be stuck in his chair all day long while everyone else had fun. Well, okay, he'd have Finn for company, but since the poor guy looked like he was going to puke at any moment, that wasn't much of a consolation prize.

"Okay guys, I'll park the bus up here, and then it'll take us about five minutes to walk to the beach to find a spot. Has everyone got what they need?" There was a murmur of talk at Mr Schue's question, though Rachel had to softly wake Finn, who had fallen asleep awkwardly on her shoulder. "Alright then, let's go get some sun!"

One by one, the glee kids trudged off of the bus, followed by Artie, who was lowered down on the ramp, and finally Will and Emma (the latter of which had prepared a bumper picnic for the afternoon). As a buzz of excitement swept across the group, before they knew it, they'd claimed a large patch of sand for themselves, and once Will had rented a handful of umbrellas, they were good to go. Towels were spread out and arguments erupted over shade and sunlight, but once everyone was relatively comfy, they assumed they were able to enjoy themselves. However, as soon as Mr Schue cleared his throat and stood in front of them all, hands on his hips, they knew that a lecture was coming.

"Is everyone finally settled?" he said with a smile in his voice. A few people nodded awkwardly. "Alright, that's good." Finn wanted to throw a handful of sand in Mr Schue's direction; he was being way too happy to make up for his previous strop, and when Finn wanted nothing more than to curl up in a dark place to sleep, happiness was something that could just fuck off. "I don't want to be a party pooper or anything, but I need to set a few ground rules down." Finn could hear Puck groaning in exasperation. "First off, don't drown. I'm not in the mood to go pulling bodies from the water." Mercedes laughed a little too loudly, while Kurt rolled his eyes at what he was hearing. "No, seriously guys, just stay safe, okay? You're all capable of looking out for yourselves, so all I'm going to say is be back here for twelve for the picnic that Miss Pillsbury put together, and we'll see what happens from there."

**Glee!**

**One Hour Later:**

**Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson**

Rachel found herself talking to a delirious Finn instead of enjoying her first proper day at the beach in ages. She'd been excited about going, just as everyone else had, but when they'd actually arrived, and most of the club were either preoccupied with sports or sunbathing, she realised that without Finn by her side, she was extremely bored and a little lonely. Mike had asked her to play volleyball on his team, but sports had never exactly been her forte. Besides, after the third time that Santana had hit the ball straight at her head, Rachel had politely resigned from the team so that she could keep an eye on Finn.

It wasn't very entertaining to be fair. Not only was he feeling ill, Finn had resorted to grumpiness, which became less endearing as the morning progressed. However, Rachel Berry didn't give up, even if the task was a difficult one. Finn was angry because he was missing out on all of the fun, so it was her mission to keep him entertained as best she could. She knew that her presence was annoying him at first because all he wanted to do was sleep, but after nearly an hour he finally cracked, and decided to be as cheerful as humanely possible in the circumstances.

"Maybe once you've eaten lunch you'll feel a little better? It might do you good to get a bit of sun too." Finn nodded numbly at Rachel, but said nothing. "Anyway, I really want to try going on a speedboat, so I expect you to be feeling up to the job soon, okay?"

Finn snorted as he gave a sore laugh. "Sure Rach, like you'd go on something so dangerous."

"What are you trying to say? That I'm not willing to take risks?"

Finn shrugged with a slight smile. "Sure, that's what I'm trying to say. You just don't strike me as the type of girl that would do something so reckless. That's not a bad thing, honestly." Rachel folded her arms with a huff, causing Finn to groan to himself. "Rachel, come on, I'm not in the mood for one of your strops, I'm feeling shi-"

Rachel squeezed his lips together before he could finish his sentence. "Language Finn Hudson."

"Whatever," he said with another snort. "Look, I love you 'cause you're all kinds of awesome, but just because you're frightened of taking risks doesn't make me love you any less than what I... Wait, I've forgotten what I'm trying to say."

"I'm going to go on one Finn, mark my words. I can take risks now and again you know." Rachel ignored the smirk that appeared on her boyfriend's face, because she was deadly serious; she was going to go on a speedboat even if it killed her.

**Quinn Fabray and Artie Abrams**

Quinn's main plan of action had been to get some form of a tan, but after seeing Artie sitting sadly under an umbrella by himself, she decided that she could sunbathe some other time; friends were more important (but only marginally).

Artie had protested at first. He insisted that he wanted to be on his own, and when that didn't work, he told Quinn that she should be enjoying the beach experience as much as possible. When _that_ didn't work, he tried sulking, but she was too persistent to leave him alone. After fifteen minutes of trying to get rid of her, Artie had given in; he couldn't deny that he enjoyed her company, especially when it involved laughing at the many facial expressions of Puck versus the world.

**Noah Puckerman, Mike Chang, Matt Rutherford, and Tina Cohen-Chang**

Puck was competitive, that much he knew. Sure, he was part of one of the worst football teams in history, but it didn't make him any less of a sore loser. Therefore, playing volleyball was the only thing he wanted to do, since he _needed_ the rush that came with being victorious.

"Mike, come on, let me kick your ass!" Puck bellowed as he strode along the sand, ball in hand. The point of the rental hut was to pay for the use of whatever they had available, but Puck didn't pay for squat if he could help it. All it had taken was a quick flirt, a wink and a promise to meet up with the hot girl working there (like that was ever going to happen), and he'd secured a net and ball for the day, free of charge. Mike looked at him with pure terror in his eyes, probably because he knew he didn't have a shot in hell against the Puckasaurus.

"One on one?" he asked hesitantly.

"Whatever, we can play in teams if you'd like. In fact, I'll let you choose first because I'm feeling so confident." Puck regretted that big time. He realised that Mike would choose Matt, leaving Kurt, Finn and Artie; Kurt winced every time someone suggested playing, Finn looked like he was going to drop down dead, and Artie, well, he was in a wheelchair on a beach, and that just spoke for itself.

"Tina, wanna be on my team?" Puck's jaw dropped at Mike's choice at the same time that Tina's did. She looked nervously at Puck, but didn't say no.

"Sure Mike, though I haven't really played before."

_Piece of cake._

"Alright, Matt, you're with the Puckatron 5000. Let's do this."

**Santana Lopez and Brittany (whose last name seemed to have disappeared in the heat)**

Santana had been the first to get herself comfy in the sun. When it came down to playing games or tanning, the latter would always be her number one choice (despite how much Brittany wanted to make a Disney sandcastle with her). Yeah, okay, she'd played a quick game of volleyball before Puck had gotten super competitive with Mike, but that was just because Berry had been annoying her, and she'd been curious to test out her (near perfect) aim.

"Santana?" said Brittany quietly.

"Mmm hmm?"

"Are you having a nice time so far?" Santana often marvelled at the innocence of Brittany. In one sense, she resembled a child, since she loved anything sparkly and movies with unicorns. On the flip side, this was the same girl who had made out with nearly everyone in school, and who had slept with countless people, and who was a friend with benefits to Santana herself. It was hard to imagine that one girl could be capable of all those things, but that was the attraction, wasn't it? Ninety nine percent of the losers at McKinley were boring to Santana, but Brittany was in the one percent that actually held some interest for her.

"I am actually," she whispered.

"Even with your letters, and Kurt, and Finn?"

Santana let out a small laugh. "Yeah Brit, even with all that crap. How about you?" The silence was normal, though it lasted a little longer than usual before she replied.

"I am I think, but I miss my cat."

**Kurt Hummel and Mercedes Jones**

"This whole beach scene is so over hyped," said Kurt from behind his huge, overbearing sunglasses. Mercedes looked up from her book.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, for one thing, people seem to think that the passable weather is an excuse to break out their hideous swimsuits and bikinis." Kurt pointed (as subtly as he could) at a rather large woman who was doing some kind of exercise regime. "Take that victim for example. She should not be allowed in public."

Mercedes felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. Didn't Kurt realise how offensive he was being? She'd come to terms with her own big body, but it still hurt to hear her best friend insulting others who were in the same boat. "There's no need to be so rude about it," she muttered. Kurt looked completely shocked.

"Mercedes, I'm _not _talking about her weight, I'm talking about her choice of swimwear!" Mercedes looked sceptical, so Kurt continued. "Please, would I ever be so insensitive? No, I'm talking about her outfit. For a woman of her figure, she should be wearing something that compliments her curves, not a flimsy piece of fabric that draws attention to her size." Mercedes squinted a little in the sun; she could see what he meant. She herself would never wear something so slutty, which made her feel slightly sorry for the stranger.

"I guess," she conceded, returning to her book.

"Want to go get an ice cream?" Kurt said as an afterthought.

"Hell yeah Kurt, you always know the right thing to say." The two friends shared a comforting smile.

"Naturally. Quick, let's hurry before everyone else wants one."

**Will Schuester and Emma Pillsbury**

It had started with an apology from both of them.

"I'm sorry for comparing you to Sue Sylvester," Emma had managed to say, despite knowing that they were similar in various ways.

"Sorry for hurting you," said Will, though he wasn't sure what he was _actually_ apologising for anymore.

"So, you and Terri?" she replied awkwardly, diverting her gaze to everything but Will's face.

"Wait, what... me and Terri?" Okay, he was _really_ unsure what he was apologising for. "You _do_ know that we got a divorce, right?"

"I'm not stupid Will. Before I came in yesterday I heard you talking to Terri on the phone."

Will frowned. So what if she had? All he'd asked from Terri was for her to check on the apartment (and after hearing from her five times that afternoon, it seemed nothing of value had been taken), and heck, he didn't even remember being particularly kind to her when they'd spoken.

"Yeah, I asked her to go to my apartment after it was burgled. I swear, that's all that happened."

Emma was thrown by the mention of a break in, but she didn't allow herself to be distracted. "You invited her out for dinner Will, and then you said you loved her."

Oh, so _that_ was why she'd been so outraged at his seemingly innocent question; she'd thought that he and Terri were back together, and that... Right, that made sense; she'd thought that he was willing to cheat on her again.

"Emma, that was my dad. I invited him out for dinner because we haven't seen each other for a while."

Cue embarrassment on both ends and more apologies.

**Glee!**

The picnic went down well. Emma had catered to everyone's tastes, and even Finn seemed to perk up at the mention of food. The conversation wasn't exactly stimulating, but it was comfortable, which was nice. They talked about the weather, and the volleyball, and the huge ice cream that Kurt had dropped in the sand, and simultaneously, everyone felt as if they belonged to the group, regardless of their differences. Even Santana made a joke that everyone laughed at, though Tina had to explain the punch line to Brittany.

Yes, to anyone who didn't know them, the whole thing probably looked really corny and over the top, but the fourteen people who were sat on their towels eating sandwiches and sugar cookies (Rachel's contribution) were finally happy and at some sort of peace with one another. Each and every one of them hoped that the rest of the vacation would pass as smoothly as their beach trip had, because goodness knows that they'd had enough drama to last them a lifetime.

**Glee!**

"I want everyone packed up and ready to leave in an hour exactly, okay?" There was a general nod and murmur, and the individual couples and groups split up for their last hour on the beach. Finn was glad that they were finally leaving because he couldn't wait to go to sleep (though he had to admit, he'd actually enjoyed listening to Rachel babble on about anything and everything all day).

"Are you feeling a bit better?" Rachel said, a slight impatient tone to her voice.

"A little, why?" He watched as Rachel looked longingly out at the lake, where one speedboat sped up and down the water, ferrying visitors constantly.

"Are you well enough to have a go?" His burst of laughter suggested that no, he wasn't, though Rachel didn't appreciate him shooting her idea down so quickly. "What's so funny Finn?"

"Nothing," he said with another laugh, "unless you mean the fact that I'm feeling really lousy, that I'd probably get seasick or something if I went on there now, and that you wouldn't dare go on."

"How do you know? I think it looks exhilarating and liberating and completely amazing!" She pouted as she poked him softly in the side of his chest. "Please Finn?"

He shook his head wildly as he wiped away the sweat on his forehead. "No way Rachel, I'm sorry. I'm just not feeling well."

Rachel was spoilt, she could admit it, and Finn certainly hadn't helped with that. Since they'd been dating, she'd had him wrapped around her little finger (though she refused to admit that she was controlling). Therefore, it was hard being told that she couldn't get what she wanted, even if she'd only had her heart set on riding the boat for the better part of a day. Finn was right in one sense; she wasn't one to take such big risks because her dads had always been so protective of her. She'd seen countless television shows where people had been injured at sea, had been decapitated by boat propellers, had been eaten by sharks, but this time, Rachel wasn't afraid; she just wanted to _prove_ to herself, and to Finn, that she could do this.

"Please Artie, it'll be fun!" Rachel was sure that her ears were twitching like a cat listening to a bird. She couldn't help but eavesdrop on Tina and Artie's conversation because she had a strange feeling that it would interest her (it was her psychic ability coming to life again, she was sure of it).

"Tina, I'm not a strong swimmer since the accident, and if the boat capsized or hit a rock or something, I'd probably drown, and then it'd be on your conscience."

_Bingo._

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I couldn't help overhear something. What's the problem Tina?" Artie clenched his jaw at the intrusion, but was too polite to say anything.

"I really want to go on a speedboat ride, but Artie's being a coward," she said wistfully.

Artie ignored the insult as best as he could. "Tina, for some unknown reason, wants to subject herself to the terror of going extremely fast on water." Rachel's eyes lit up as Artie's flashed with fear. "I don't get the attraction of-"

"I'll go with you," Rachel said brightly.

Tina spluttered at the same time as Finn, who had been eavesdropping too. "Are you serious?" they said in unison.

"Deadly," she replied with a determined nod. "My boyfriend is also a chicken, so I'd be happy to accompany you Tina."

Finn dragged himself closer before the girls could seal the deal. "Rachel, I don't think this is such a good idea..."

She dismissed him with a quick wave of her hand. "We'll be perfectly safe Finn. Let's go Tina."

Arm in arm (which felt a little foreign for the both of them), the two girls left Artie and Finn to stare in silence.

"This is a really bad idea," said Artie finally. Finn groaned in agreement.

"I bet they won't go through with it," he added, though he knew that once Rachel had something in her head, she couldn't let go of it.

"I hope so. I would go with them, but... Well, water isn't exactly my strong point."

**Glee!**

Ten minutes later, and Rachel and Tina were sitting with their boyfriends once more, though not because of second thoughts.

"The queue was a mile long! Honestly, I never realised how popular it would be, and with Mr Schue giving us an hour, we never would have made it back in time." Rachel rested her head on Finn's arm with a sigh of discontentment.

"Awh, bummer, that's a shame." He kissed the top of her head, not sorry in the slightest.

"Yeah, but we can always come back another day," insisted Tina. Artie nodded slightly, though he didn't look too convinced.

"Want to make a sandcastle instead?" asked Finn, his eyes twinkling as he stared into Rachel's.

"Let's make it interesting," interrupted Artie. "I bet mine and Tina's castle will be far superior to whatever it is you two are going to make." Tina giggled at the look of determination on Rachel's face.

"Bring it Abrams," she whispered before hurrying to start on their winning sandy masterpiece.

**A/N: **Like I said, I have no idea what the beaches at Lake Erie are actually like. For the sake of this fic, let's pretend that the lake has speedboats and water sports, and that there is plenty to do there like volleyball and other such wonderful things. The reason I'm clarifying this is because I got berated on a different story for my lack of American geographical knowledge, so yeah, please don't take this as true to life.

Secondly, I know it's quite a long chapter where relatively nothing happens. This was supposed to be a filler more than anything, since it sets things up for what's to come (it'll make sense soon, trust me). As always, thank you for reading!


	20. Chapter 20

**Some uses of strong language and a really big chapter just to warn you ;D**

Finn's eyes slowly opened early on Friday morning. He didn't usually wake up for another few hours, but it was as if something inside of him was eager to be up and out as quickly as possible. He didn't move, but simply stared at the off-white ceiling, which was pretty boring after the first ten seconds. His stomach rumbled with renewed hunger, but still Finn didn't move, because he was waiting for something to occur, something that he wasn't looking forward to.

It was strange though, because after five minutes had passed and he still hadn't thrown up, he began to wonder if his weird illness had passed. Cautiously, Finn sat upright, waiting for the overwhelming need to puke in Puck's shoes, but it didn't come. He lifted his legs out of bed, waiting to feel dizzy and faint, but that didn't come either; in fact, Finn felt like he could run up and down the beach all day long, which _surely_ had to mean he was feeling better.

It was more than annoying. Finn didn't usually get sick, but of course, it had happened while he'd been on vacation, wasting precious days when they weren't even there for long. He regretted not enjoying the beach more with Rachel, but he reasoned that they had plenty of time to catch up on happy memories. With everyone still fast asleep, Finn tried to sneak out carefully on the tips of his toes, but ended up falling head first onto Puck's bed, his full weight slamming into his ex-best friend's chest.

"Jesus Christ!" groaned Puck with a cough and splutter. "What the hell are you doing you loser? Man, what a wakeup call." Puck pushed Finn off his body before hitting him over the head with his pillow. "Mark my words, I-" As Finn rubbed his aching shoulder, an excited grin spread across Puck's face. "Today's the day! I'm gonna beat the crap out of you Hudson, you got that?"

"What's with all the unnecessary noise so early in the morning?" groaned Artie, who was rubbing his eyes in disbelief. "Please don't tell me this is to do with the pillow thing, because I'm not _that_ eager to play."

"I'm gonna go grab some breakfast," said Finn as quickly as he could. He wanted to be on his own for a bit to make sure that his body wasn't messing with him, 'cause he'd got his hopes up that he could actually join in with the fun for the day.

"Finn?" Finn was greeted by a confused looking Rachel, who was eating breakfast alone whilst reading some huge ass book. "Are you ill again? Why are you up so early?"

"Because I'm actually feeling great," he said with a hesitant smile. "I don't want to jinx it or anything, but yeah, fit as a fiddle." He frowned, which alarmed Rachel.

"What is it? Are you okay?"

"A fiddle is like a violin, right? So why is it fit?"

Rachel shrugged as she giggled to herself. "You sound like you're back to normal at least. Oh, this is perfect actually! I have a gift for you."

Finn didn't have time to protest or question her, since Rachel disappeared as soon as the words left her mouth. Before he knew it, she was suddenly by his side, clutching a book in her hand. "This is for you Finn. There's a note inside that should explain everything, but would you look at that later? I need to ask you something first."

"Sure, thanks for this... whatever it is. What do you wanna know?"

Rachel's hands clenched into fists. "This so called pillow war... Do you think everyone will make it their mission to attack me? Because I'm not sure I can handle the humiliation or the meaning behind their actions. I'm their co-captain, which means they should respect me, right?" Finn replied only with a coy smile, which did absolutely nothing for Rachel's nerves. "Right Finn?"

Finn placed the mysterious book on the coffee table so that he could lay his hands on her shoulder. "You're crazy Rachel. This is just a game. Besides, you're small, so you should be able to avoid all of their attacks."

"You think?"

Finn nodded with a crooked smile. "I know. I really hope I'm on the opposite team to Puck because I really, _really_ wanna beat the hell out of him."

Rachel sighed inwardly; she still wasn't sure this was such a good idea. "Whatever you say Finn. Let me make you something to eat."

**Glee!**

"Berry, I need your help." Finn and Rachel looked up simultaneously at Puck, who seemed surprisingly chipper.

"With what, dare I ask?" she said hesitantly. Finn glared in Puck's direction; he didn't trust anything that came out of that mouth, especially where Rachel was concerned.

"You're a good actor, right?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "_Actress_, Noah, and yes, I'd like to think I am. Why do you ask?"

"You need to convince Mr Schue that you're sick so that we can go ahead with the plan."

"We're pretending to be ill?" she asked, clearly unimpressed. "All of us? Don't you think that's a tad immature and unbelievable?"

Puck snorted as he waved her concern off. "Can you do it or not? If you're not up to it, I can ask Santana or-"

"No, I'll do it!" Rachel piped up. Finn exhaled with annoyance; she was so damn predictable! Her need to be the best could be a pain in the ass at times, and this was one of them; was she really willing to lie to Mr Schue for some dumb pillow fight?

"You don't have to do this Rachel! You do know that you'll have to deceive people, right? It's a lame idea anyway!"

Rachel winced as Puck punched Finn hard in the shoulder. "Shut up man, this is gonna be epic if your talented girlfriend can pull this off."

Rachel was practically kissing Puck's feet, which Finn _hated_. She didn't appreciate Finn's compliments like she once did, as if he was obligated to tell her how awesome she was because they were dating. Puck was just playing her like he played everyone else, and she was falling for his crap.

"I need someone to act as a supporting role. If you're capable of following my lead Noah, we need to convince Mr Schuester with more than just my flawless acting abilities." Puck raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Are you opposed to wearing makeup for the greater good?"

**Glee!**

"So let me get this straight," repeated Artie in disbelief. "Rachel and Puck are currently telling Mr Schue and Miss Pillsbury that we're all sick, and the two of them are wearing a range of cosmetics that make them look like they're dying?"

"Pretty much," said Finn in a monotonic voice. He was already bored of the story because he wanted to be the one wearing tons of blusher and other stuff (but in a completely non-gay way of course; he just wanted to prove that he could be Rachel's leading man, or supporting role, or whatever it was that she wanted in life).

"Do you think it'll work?" scoffed Kurt, to which Mike shrugged.

"I reckon they can fool them about their health, but I can't imagine Mr Schue leaving us all when we're supposedly sick." Matt nodded at what Mike was saying. "I mean, what kind of teacher would leave twelve ill kids on their own while he went to a museum with a colleague?"

Finn wasn't really listening anymore. In all the commotion, he'd forgotten about the gift he'd received from Rachel, and had decided to take a look while she was occupied. The book wasn't very big, which was good, but it was weird, because it didn't have a name on the front, you know, like Harry Potter, or the Bible or something. In fact, the cover was just blue and leathery, which had Finn intrigued.

He cautiously opened the book in case something jumped out at him (he had to be prepared for anything with Rachel). There was writing inside, but it definitely wasn't a novel, because he could recognise the handwriting anywhere.

_Dear Finn,_

_This is for you. I know that you don't give yourself enough credit about your way with words, but what you say is so meaningful to me, even if you don't think so yourself. _

_But spoken communication isn't the only way you can express yourself. I'm sure you've mentally narrated your day now and again, and there's certainly nothing wrong with that (in fact, I do it almost every day!)._

_However, you should try putting pen to paper; write about anything and everything! I'm sure you'll want to gush over our relationship when we're apart, so feel free to write pages upon pages about how our partnership rivals Romeo and Juliet due to the obstacles we've had to face, or you know, how many aliens you've killed in your games._

_Don't be embarrassed Finn, this will help you, I promise. If it doesn't, feel free to tell Noah about my fear of dinosaurs; that's how much you mean to me._

_Forever yours, faithfully,_

_Rachel (usually I'd stick a gold star here, but I carelessly left my supplies at home)_

_P.S I love you. Don't ever forget that, okay? _

There was a tiny heart drawn at the bottom of the page that made Finn's own heart skip a beat. He was turning into such a sap, but having a written declaration of her feelings was pretty fucking awesome.

However, the appeal soon ran out when Finn realised what the book meant; she had given him a diary. A diary! Diaries were for little kids and love sick girls and people called Bridget Jones; he was none of the aforementioned, he was pretty sure of that.

A diary. Good God, she was crazy if he thought that he would go through with this.

"Mission accomplished!" boomed Puck from the doorway. Everyone looked towards him, and even Kurt nodded in admiration; Rachel had done a convincing job with his makeup.

"They fell for it?" gasped Matt, and Puck nodded with a devious smirk.

"Of course they did. I faked being a shark attack victim, so this was a piece of cake."

_Oh shit, that was a secret!_

"And anyway, there's something odd going on between Mr Schue and Miss Pillsbury, so I think they were glad for the distraction." Phew, he'd managed to change the subject.

"What time are they going?" asked Finn.

A knock on the door diverted everyone's attention.

"Crap, it might be Mr Schue; act like you're all dying," hissed Puck as he jumped back into his bed. Finn pulled his blanket over his head; he wasn't in the mood for this. "Come in," croaked Puck weakly, causing Kurt to quietly scoff to himself; this had fooled Mr Schue?

"Bravo boys, you're almost as dramatic as me." Finn peered cautiously out to see Rachel, who was smiling from ear to ear. "They've left already; Mr Schuester seemed more than eager to disappear."

"Nice one! Come on warriors, let's get going. Hurry up, move it!"

**Glee!**

"Do you think this is such a good idea Will?" Emma had been quiet for most of the journey as Will drove their rented bus, but had finally decided to say something.

"What, I thought you were looking forward to the museum?"

"Yes, I am, but I mean... if all the kids are ill, maybe we should stay to look after them?"

Will removed his eyes from the road to glance over at Emma, who was sat beside the door of the bus. "There's not much we can do apart from catch it ourselves, and Rachel seemed to have the situation under control. She's a good kid, and she won't let them do anything reckless."

Emma couldn't stop wringing her hands together. She and Will weren't exactly the best of friends again, and leaving so many sick kids unattended... it just seemed to scream the word _wrong._

"If you're sure," she said quietly. It was going to be a long day.

**Glee!**

"Alright then geeks, here's what's up!" Eleven people were gathered around Puck, who was stood precariously close to the edge of the table that he'd hoisted himself up on. Some faces that stared back were excited, while others were hesitant; Rachel just looked plain disapproving. "We're going to split into two armies. Me and Tina are gonna be in charge, whether you like it or not."

"Oh God, I have a feeling we're going to act out Saving Private Ryan," whispered Kurt to Mercedes under his breath. She laughed as quietly as she could without distracting Puck.

"We're gonna take it in turns to choose our soldiers, and then it's an all out war baby!"

Quinn shook her head in amazement; she knew that Puck had planned every little detail before today, which made her wonder why he didn't bother to apply himself at school. He obviously had the intelligence, but he seriously lacked the motivation.

"Can I pick first?" asked Tina, who had remained quiet until now.

"As if," Puck laughed, "I'm getting the first pick 'cause I don't want you stealing the finest young men. Hudson, you're with me." Finn rose slowly to stand beside Puck, but not before pulling a disappointed face at Rachel (he'd have to beat him up some other day).

Tina sighed loudly. "That's a shame, I was desperate to have Finn on my team. Quinn, I choose you."

Puck jumped down from the table to glare at Tina properly. "What the hell are you playing at?"

"You had the first pick and you chose Finn; I chose Quinn. Is that going to be a problem?"

Puck wanted to snarl at the goth, but couldn't let the others see his weakness. He was very tempted to choose Artie next out of spite, but come on, the kid was in a wheelchair, and he didn't need that kind of weight slowing him down.

"Nope, that's perfectly fine. Matt, you're with the Puckasaurus." Matt high fived Puck as he passed him, happy to be on his team.

Tina had a dilemma on her hands. She knew from sad experience that being picked in gym was absolute torture; if you were chosen first you were cool, and if you were left until last, it meant you either had really bad asthma, or you were a loser (she was branded a loser many times over).

But she couldn't be too cautious about feelings today; she was playing a game here. If she chose Artie, Puck would automatically take Mike, landing himself the strongest team. She glanced around at the hopeful faces that remained, trying to figure out Puck's next move. Santana was a formidable Cheerio, that much was a given, but Tina wasn't sure if the Latina girl was interested in letting loose for the day. Besides, she'd have to give orders to her teammates, and being perfectly honest, Santana scared the hell out of Tina. No, Puck could have her, and Brittany would probably have to follow.

That left Kurt, Mike, Mercedes, Rachel and Artie. She could only choose four people, and five of them were waiting for her verdict. She closed her eyes to try and think things through. She wanted Artie on her team, of course she did, but if she chose him now, Puck would take Mike. However, if she left Artie till the end, she was positive that Puck wouldn't choose him, and he'd have to be put on her team. Would he be offended? She'd obviously tell him her reasoning once the teams had been sorted, but she knew that for now, with everyone else that she chose, Artie's face would slowly crumple with embarrassment and betrayal.

Who knew that choosing friends could be so emotionally straining? Still, she had to do what was right for her team, and that meant choosing-

"Mike, can you join our team please?" Mike looked extremely surprised and ecstatic, Tina noticed, but she didn't dare look at Artie.

"Damn it, I was gonna choose Mike next!" she could hear Puck complain to Finn and Matt.

"You should choose Rachel, she'll make a good fighter," suggested Finn not too quietly, which made Rachel blush and Puck roll his eyes.

"I can do this on my own." He looked at the remaining selection with a frown on his face. They didn't exactly show much soldier potential... "Santana," he said with a nod. She was a bitch most of the time, so hopefully he could utilise that to make her into a killing machine. By the look on Brittany's face, he'd have to choose her next, but looking at the others, that wouldn't be such a huge problem.

"Who do you think we should go with next?" asked Tina. Quinn scratched her head in thought while Mike seemed to be mumbling calculations under his breath.

"I know that Kurt would probably like to rip Puck's head off with his bare hands," began Mike, "so we might be able to use his cooped up rage to destroy them one by one?"

"Yeah, that makes sense," Tina said with a smile. "But what about Mercedes? She'd make a good team member."

"I think we should go with Rachel," whispered Quinn. Both Tina and Mike raised their eyebrows; Quinn wasn't exactly Rachel's biggest fan. "Look, think about it like this. Puck's an idiot, and he isn't going to choose Artie because of the chair, so that means that we can take him as default once we're done." Tina was impressed that they'd both come to the same conclusion. "I also know that Kurt and Puck don't exactly see eye to eye, so I doubt that he'll steal him from under our noses. That means that our actual choice is between Rachel, Mercedes and Brittany."

"What about Brittany then?" asked Mike.

Quinn shook her head, her blonde hair shimmying across her shoulders. "Santana's on the other team. If we chose Brittany, she'd either cling to us like a lost little child, or she'd decide to jump ship to be with Santana, and we don't want to be one person down. No, Brittany has to go on their team, which isn't a huge loss anyway."

Tina slightly admired Quinn's ruthlessness now that they were working together. "And Rachel?"

"Rachel is even more competitive that Puck. Once we get her enthusiastic about this game, she won't stop until we've won, even if Finn is on the other side. I say go with Rachel."

Tina bit her lip as she made her final decision, still not looking in Artie's direction. "Rachel, we choose you." Her face lit up instantly, probably because she was expecting to be picked last. Finn, on the other hand, looked seriously bummed out, but that wasn't Tina's concern (wow, she was really embracing the commander thing).

"Damn it, I told you we should have gotten Rachel!" moaned Finn.

"Give it a rest you baby. If you haven't noticed, my girl's on the other team too, so grow a pair and stop crying." Puck wrinkled his nose at the selection. He knew that Tina probably had some strategy, so he decided to shake things up a bit. "Mercedes, welcome to the kickass team."

"What the hell do you think you're doing? What about Brittany?" Puck ignored Santana's hissing and spitting; there was no way he was gonna get stuck with Artie.

"He knew we weren't going to choose Brittany," said Quinn, trying to hide how impressed she was. "That's a bit of a blow, but like Mike said, Kurt's a good choice. Go with Kurt."

Tina finally turned her attention to Artie, who wasn't even looking in her direction. No, instead of getting his hopes up, he'd diverted his gaze to anything but her. He knew it was only a meaningless game, but it was times like this that he hated being in his stupid, life-wrecking chair.

"Artie," Tina said quietly, "we choose you."

Artie looked up slowly, not believing his ears. "Me?"

Tina nodded with a smile. "That's if you want to be on our team?"

"O-of course!" He rolled himself towards his girlfriend, who bent down to place a kiss on his cheek. She ignored the confusion on Quinn's face, because when it came down to it, she couldn't be so heartless.

"Brittany, you're with us, and Hummel, you're on the gay team, no pun intended or anything," said Puck; Kurt responded with a sarcastic smile. "Right, each team has ten minutes to confer and all that shit, and once the time's up, it's gonna be a full blown war! I'll tell you the rules after that."

Each team disappeared to opposite ends of the living room, huddling up to discuss tactics and team members. Tina pulled Kurt aside apologetically.

"Sorry you were last Kurt."

Kurt straightened out his shirt as nonchalantly as he could. "No problem, it wasn't completely humiliating or anything."

"If it's any consolation, you were my third choice, but we figured that Puck wouldn't pick you, and you know, with Artie..." Tina took a deep breath while Kurt laid a thankful hand on her shoulder.

"I can take it, but I think Artie would have been devastated. I understand, thanks for talking to me Tina. Let's go get some blood, or feathers, or whatever it is we're doing."

**Glee!**

Everything was in place. The details had been discussed and negotiated upon, and after half an hour of debating, three simple rules were created.

The first, and most obvious one, was relating to the 'weapons'. Though a pillow wasn't strictly necessary, weapons had to be something soft that wouldn't harm the other team (Santana was pissed that she couldn't hide a brick inside her pillow case).

The second rule was that a weapon had to be used at all times, which meant that slapping, punching and kicking were disallowed, much to Kurt's annoyance.

Finally, unofficial bathroom breaks were not allowed. Puck had been passionate about this point, because he believed that taking a break could be a ruse to simply relax and regain strength. Therefore, every hour, the option to go on a two minute break would be given to everyone, despite the fact that they only had two bathrooms available to them.

"Alright, alright, we get the picture," moaned Mercedes. "What do we actually do in this game apart from hit each other?"

"Maybe we should have a point system?" suggested Rachel.

"No, that wouldn't work, this group is full of liars," responded Puck. "We'd spend half our time on unfair disputes and shit. No, we'll just have to try something else."

Artie cleared his throat awkwardly. "How about we have lives?"

"Lives? How would that work Abrams?" asked Puck with a look of intrigue.

"Well, we could each have five strips of tissue hanging from a piece of string, or something similar. The aim of the game could be to steal other people's lives. You could add them to your own belt if you managed to snag one, but if you lost all of your own, you'd be out of the game."

The room was silent as Puck thought it over. It made sense... a lot of sense, in fact.

"That's fucking brilliant!" he laughed as he clapped Artie on the back. "Man, I should have chosen you after all. Right, okay, let's go find some string and tissue! It's on!"

**Glee!**

Rachel could never forget the way her heart raced at Regionals. She remembered every little detail of the scene before her and Finn's grand entrance, right down to the smell of perfume and the sound of people muttering in the audience. She remembered the way Finn's mouth had twitched with a smile when he'd said the best words Rachel could have ever heard, and the way she'd felt like jelly as he'd strode through the doors, singing like a beautiful, gallant angel. Her heart had raced so amazingly fast that day that she'd honestly believed she'd have a heart attack.

But that was nothing compared to how she felt now, staring at people she used to know, a soft yet sturdy pillow clenched in her hand. Her enemy glared back at her, holding their own weapons, some kind of black mess covering their faces like war paint. That was exactly what it was, a war, and Rachel had to be ready to fight to the pretend death to benefit her team, even if it meant bringing down the boy who held her heart.

Beside her, Tina's shoulders shook as she took in haggard breaths. She had never before been a leader, but today she had to step up to the challenge. Many before her had triumphed and fallen in the name of victory, and she would have to do the same, regardless of her inexperience. Her team were counting on her for guidance, and she was determined to make them proud.

Puck stepped forward, confidence oozing from his demeanour. His war paint was the most dramatic of them all, and his weapons of choice, a pillow in each hand, seemed to yearn for the feel of invisible blood against their blank faces.

"We are team coyote," he announced in a low, gravelly voice. "We work as a group to destroy the weak and prey on the young, picking the flesh from their bones. Who are you?"

Tina looked anxiously at her team mates, who were now regretting their choice. "We are team... we are team butterfly, because we have evolved over time into a beautiful harmony of joy... and uh, destruction!" Artie winced beside her; he was going to kill Rachel for even suggesting the damn bug name.

"Well, pretty little butterflies, prepare to be snapped in half by the strong jaws of the coyotes! This is waaaaaaar!"

No one really knew what they were doing, but at Puck's war cry, everyone (apart from Artie) rushed forward, pillows raised and game faces on.

Puck's main priority was to rip Tina's lives from her, limb by feathery limb. He ran screaming at the Asian, his pillow poised for attack, and failed to notice Quinn, who had been running straight at him. His vision was blurred as her pillow began to smash against his face, again and again, until he felt one of his lives being tugged away by the blonde.

"Sorry babe, doesn't mean I don't care," Quinn whispered before hitting once more on the head. Puck couldn't help but snort and laugh, because seriously, this game was already awesome.

"Damn it Quinn, I should have chosen you first. Finn's a lovesick puppy anyway, and you would have made a fine addition to my team." He spat out a feather that had already leaked out from Quinn's pillow. She kissed him briefly, softly, caringly on the cheek before running back to their base where Artie sat.

"Artie, I got one, I got one!" she breathed, holding the piece of paper in her hand (the tissues had ripped too easily in practice, and this allowed names to be written on every piece as a proud trophy).

"Well done, I was watching and you were a force to be reckoned with," Artie laughed, admiring the piece of crumpled paper that had Puck's name on it.

"How are the rest of the team doing?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder. She winced before Artie could even reply; their team were really being slaughtered.

"I told Kurt to sneak up on Brittany, but he instead tried to frighten Mercedes, and yeah, you can probably see for yourself how that worked out."

She could indeed; Mercedes had Kurt pinned to the ground as she repeatedly hit him with her pillow. He, on the other hand, was in a fit of hysterics, tears running down his face with laughter.

"Who should I go for sir?" she said with a smile. She wanted to include Artie as much as possible, because his involvement was rather limited.

"Aim for Finn. He's distracted by Rachel so you should have no problem stealing a life from him."

Artie was right; Finn couldn't concentrate at all. Feathers were flying left, right and centre, and a lot of the damage was coming from Rachel, who was taking the game in her stride. He could see, without even counting, that Rachel had a fair few pieces of paper strapped to her string belt, and since he was too busy watching his amazingly hot girl beating the crap out of Matt, he failed to notice Quinn, who bombarded him with her pillow.

"If you don't watch out, you're going to be dead before the first bathroom break," Quinn laughed in Finn's ear. She pulled a life from his belt before hitting him once more for good measure. "Join in Finn, you're such a bore! You can't hurt anyone, and it's actually quite sexy fighting with your other half."

"Er, what did you just say?" Finn spluttered, to which Quinn shrugged carelessly.

"I'm just telling the truth. Now hurry up, you're a terrible excuse for a coyote."

Santana, who had been hiding behind one of the couches, peered carefully over the top, taking in the crazy scene before her. She had to admit, she hadn't been looking forward to this crap _at all_, but after watching the others having fun, she'd decided to embrace the geekiness for the day. The trouble was, every time she tried to target anyone, she was confronted by Rachel, who was doing a hell of a job being an annoying little twerp.

"Santana, have you got any yet?" said Brittany out of nowhere. The blonde bounced down beside her friend, who was trying to take a look at her lives. "You have all five left? That's amazing! I only have one." Brittany showed Santana proudly, who was smiling properly for the first time that day.

"We should ambush someone Brit," she said with a smirk. "Then while I hit them, you can steal their paper."

Brittany clapped her hands excitedly. "Ooh, that sounds like fun! Who should we go after?"

"Mike, I'm pretty sure we can take him," she said confidently.

"Think again," came a booming voice. Mike leapt over their couch refuge, and with a wink, he ripped Brittany's last life from her belt as he aimed his pillow at Santana. "Thanks on behalf of the butterflies!" he laughed as he disappeared, joining the chaos once more.

Brittany's eyes filled with tears. "That was my last one!" she whispered.

"No it's not," Santana insisted. She pulled one of her own lives from her belt, and before anyone could catch her in the act, she stuck it to Brittany. "See? You have one left. Now let's go and get that damn Mike Chang."

Mike was having a lot of fun. Though he'd been one of the more enthusiastic ones when Puck had told them of his idea, he still hadn't expected things to get so exciting. For one thing, Tina had chosen him for her team, and for another, his belt was lined with various bits of paper, highlighting his skill and agility.

But then he saw Artie sitting on his own, staring down at the five lives around his waist. Mike had been enjoying himself too much to notice that the boy in the wheelchair wasn't having fun, and he couldn't have that; butterflies were supposed to be free, which meant Artie had to have a go too. Mike glanced around the room for Quinn, who had just wrestled with Mercedes to gain another trophy. He needed help, and Quinn would surely be willing to help.

"Quinn, over here!" he yelled. The blonde nodded and headed towards him, barely missing Brittany who had gone hurtling past with one of Kurt's lives.

"You called?" she said with a smile whilst trying to catch her breath.

"Are you good at lifting people?" he asked quietly.

Quinn rolled her eyes with a small chuckle. "Mike, I used to be a Cheerio; lifting is my speciality. What do you have in mind?"

"We should carry Artie around for a bit. I'm sure we can get Matt and Mercedes if we're quick enough."

Quinn's eyes shone with unshed tears. _This_ was what glee club was about; it was about coming together as a team, regardless of anything that might have stood in the way. Quinn didn't speak to Mike very often, but she realised that she'd have to make more of an effort; he was a proper hero for what he wanted to do.

"I'm sure we can," she smiled, wrapping him in an impromptu hug. He didn't have time to return it, since the two of them were tackled to the ground by Puck, who beat them continuously with one of his now limp pillows.

"I'll take both of these with pride; thanks guys," he laughed as he ripped a life from each of them. Quinn rubbed her elbow with annoyance; that had actually hurt.

"Come on, let's get Artie. We have to win this thing," she said quickly, helping Mike up while checking the area around them. Finn was desperately trying (and failing) to hit Tina with his pillow, Kurt was being overpowered by both Santana and Brittany, Rachel was going for the kill with Puck, and Matt was scanning the room, just as Quinn and Mike were. "Hurry, Matt's free. Go go go!"

Artie had been watching the action with amusement, laughing now and again when Puck was beaten by Kurt and Tina. He didn't resent them all for being able to join in because honestly, he got almost as much enjoyment from just watching them.

He looked around for Quinn, who had been doing amazingly well during the first round, only to find her running straight at him alongside Mike, who had a crazed smile on his face.

"Artie, we're gonna lift you out of your chair, and then you're going to steal one of Matt's lives, okay?" He didn't have time to say yes, because before he knew it, Artie was in the air as Quinn and Mike carried him with ease.

"Oh dear God, please don't drop me!" he said pitifully, though it was a relief to feel the sturdiness of the two below him.

"Get ready Artie, he's about to make a run for it. Hit him!" As Artie drew his pillow into the air, Mike and Quinn managed a slow trot that turned into a semi-sprint, and poor Matt never stood a chance. Once Artie had ambushed him, Mike and Quinn lowered him down so he could take a life for himself.

"Sorry about that Matt, you've got to stick to the status quo." The trio couldn't stop themselves from laughing as Matt blushed at the HSM reference.

"Yeah yeah Abrams, laugh it up. I'm sure our coyotes are gonna win-"

"Official bathroom break!" called Puck from behind them, his voice hoarse and a little shaky. At that, everyone seemed to collapse where they stood (though Quinn and Mike waited until Artie was seated before they joined the rest of them).

"That was an hour already?" asked Rachel with surprise. "I could have done that all day!"

"It feels like we've been _playing_ all day," wheezed Kurt, who was slightly out of breath.

"So, is it going to be in rounds?" began Quinn. "It makes more sense that way."

Puck scratched his chin as he thought to himself. At this rate, he was gonna die in the next hour, so yeah, rounds were good. "Okay, rounds it is. Can someone take score or something?"

Rachel stuck her hand in the air enthusiastically. "I'd love to! I can comply a table of data that accurately shows each score and-"

"Yeah yeah Berry, just grab some paper and put our names on. Everyone needs to count up their papers," barked Puck, frustrated by his crappy performance that morning. Maybe it was due to the fact that hitting girls was morally wrong... yeah, he could claim that if anyone called him up on his shitty performance.

"Okay, let's go with the um, the coyotes first." Rachel couldn't stop a smile twitching on her lips. "Noah, how did you do?"

Puck counted his lives five times to make sure because he hadn't been to a maths class in years. Still, he only had four, and he knew how unacceptable that was.

"Twelve," he lied, shrugging at the shocked expressions. "What, I'm really good, alright?" Quinn sighed, and made her way over to Puck, grabbing his pitiful excuse for a score.

"He has four, Rachel." She slapped him lightly across the back of his head as she returned to her seat, which Puck responded to with the finger.

"Finn?" Rachel asked apprehensively. In all the commotion of the battle, she hadn't draw pillow swords with Finn at all. In fact, she'd been so obsessed with winning that she hadn't even noticed him for the whole hour, which terrified her more than it should have.

"Three," he practically whispered, though thankfully for him, she'd managed to catch it.

"Matt?"

"Five."

Rachel made a quick note. "Mercedes?"

"Five."

"Santana?"

"Five."

"Brittany?"

"One." A few people on the opposite team couldn't help but laugh at Brittany's score, though it wasn't as if they'd expected anything better. She was about to let slip that it was Santana's, but the Latina girl prodded her in the arm before she could.

"Now for the elegant butterflies," said Rachel with an over-the-top grin. "Tina?"

"Six," she said smugly before winking at Puck, who looked like he was going to swallow his own fist. If the scores carried on like that, the coyotes were going to face a humiliating defeat.

"Quinn?"

"Six," she practically sung, followed by a high five from Mike. Puck glowered with annoyance.

"Kurt?"

"Three," he said glumly. At least he'd got more than Brittany and the same as Finn; that was an accomplishment in itself, supposedly.

"Mike?"

"Six," he replied, trying to hide the smile from his face. Man, the butterflies had really kicked butt!

"Artie?"

"Six," he said happily, smiling warmly at Quinn and Mike.

"What about you Berry?" snarled Puck, who couldn't hide his disappointment.

Rachel looked up innocently. "Oh, you want to know mine? I got ten." Team butterfly clapped and cheered at Rachel's admission, which made her feel amazing. It was one thing to win a singing award, but it was another to be accepted by the glee club, especially over something so trivial. "That means that team coyote finished with twenty three, while team butterfly finished with thirty seven; we won!"

Puck slammed his fist into the couch with a scowl of rage. "Two minutes and then I'm gonna beat the crap out of you all!"

**Glee!**

_Hi, my name is Finn Hudson, I'm nearly seventeen and I got to William McKinley high school. It's nice to meet you blank journal._

_I literally have no idea what I'm supposed to write in you actually. Rachel gave me you as a 'thoughtful gift', but for someone who can barely put a sentence together, it's not my idea of the perfect present._

_Actually, I think it's best that I don't pretend you're alive, or personified or something (I don't know if that's the right use of that word so yeah, ignore it if it's wrong). This is just a book that I'm gonna forget about next week._

_Wait a minute. No one but me is gonna read this thing, right? So I could write whatever the hell I want without being judged for it._

_Like how much this journal idea sucks. I can totally imagine Rachel to be into this sort of thing, but it's such a girly thing to do, isn't it?_

_I'll give it a go I guess. I can use this to get back at Rachel in the future though, like 'sorry Rach, I don't wanna go see Wicked again, I have to write in my journal'._

_Whatever, it might work._

_So, what else can I write? Well, I'm currently doing this in our war lunch break, and after everyone's eaten, we're starting all over again. It's weird; I feel tons better, but I'm still not hungry. It sucks too 'cause Rachel made some really delicious looking chicken-pasta-thing and it really smells great._

_Puck's giving me a really intimidating look right now, and to be honest, I don't blame him. I mean, I'm the type of guy who won't write unless I really have to. In middle school, I forgot how to write over the summer, and I had to take these special ed classes to catch up. It was embarrassing, but oddly, it made me so much cooler. Just goes to show that the rules of popularity are twisted._

_Crap, he's looking again._

"_What the hell are you doing Hudson?" he's just asked me. There's no frickin' way I can tell him either. He already thinks I'm whipped as it is._

"_Planning some tactics for the rest of the battle." I'm actually quite proud of that lie, and Puck seemed to buy it._

_Why the hell am I writing this down? Oh yeah, right, Rachel Berry, it's always Rachel Berry. She's impressed that I'm taking her idea onboard I think, probably because she thinks she'll get to read it._

_She's wrong though. She means a lot to me, but reading my thoughts like this would be a bad idea, because apart from being boring and not so smart, I have a feeling this book's gonna be all about her._

_Like how she's a talented maniac when it comes to pillow wars. Who knew she'd be so damn awesome? Puck's really pissed about that because I told him to choose her, and he didn't. It's great that everyone's accepting her more now and everything, but it's kind of annoying too. It's like, I've know how amazing Rachel is, long before anyone else knew, but because of some stupid game, they suddenly think she's the bee's knees (do bees even have knees? I'll ask Rachel later)._

_She loves the attention though, she always has done. I'm glad she's so happy, but I just hope that once today is over, the others remember this when she's telling them to clean up after themselves, or when she's bombarding them with songs to sing. They try not to insult her in front of me, but every now and again a comment about her will slip past unnoticed and I HATE it. _

_Like I said, I hope they remember today, because Rachel will take it badly if they shut her out again._

**Glee!**

Will and Emma returned at nearly 10pm. It was much, much later than they'd ever anticipated, but after spending all day at the museum, they'd decided to have dinner at a cosy little restaurant that they'd stumbled upon accidentally. Therefore, by the time they'd eaten (and stayed for a few innocent drinks), it was already quite late, especially since Emma hadn't prepared anything for the kids' own dinner.

"Sssh, be quiet Will, I think they're all asleep. It's really dark in there."

Will fumbled with the lock, trying to fit the key in as quickly as he could. "There, got it." His heart pounding irrationally in his throat, Will let Emma go in first, and locked the door behind them.

"Bless their hearts," she whispered as she covered her mouth with her hand. Though the living room was a complete mess, the glee kids had managed to find suitable places to sleep, and all of them were out for the count, their chests moving up and down in one fluid motion. Puck was spread awkwardly across the carpet, Quinn resting against him peacefully; Artie was asleep on one of the couches; Kurt was hanging off of a table; Matt and Mike were snoring next to the small television; Santana and Brittany were curled up together on a chair, and Finn was perched next to Artie, his arm out as if holding an invisible person.

"Do you think we should wake them?" asked Will quietly. Though they all looked relatively peaceful, in the morning they would surely regret their sleeping positions with all the bruises and cramping.

"No I'm sure they'll be fine," she said with a smile, her eyes glistening slightly at the sight. Will nodded and gave a thumbs up, but as he started to walk towards their shared bedroom, he stubbed his foot on the corner of the wall and swore loudly.

"Rachel, the T-Rex is gone," muttered Finn as he jumped awake, disorientated. A few others adjusted their positions, but Finn was the only one who could keep his eyes open. "Oh, Mr Schue it's it's..." Finn yawned loudly whilst rubbing his eyes. "What time is it? Did you two stay out all night?" He looked at the invisible watch on his wrist before shrugging and closing his eyes. "Can we stay here tonight? I don't want to move and wake Rachel."

Emma frowned at the same time Will did. "Wake Rachel? Finn, where is she?"

Finn smiled goofily as he tried to get comfy. "She's next to me Miss P..." He was silent for a moment, but as Will tried to understand what was going on, Finn jumped up, running his hand along the sofa to try and find Rachel. "Rachel? Rachel? Maybe she went to sleep in the girls' room," he said frantically, all traces of exhaustion gone in an instant.

"I'll check in the bathrooms," said Emma. "Will, check everywhere else." The scurrying of activity was enough to wake Artie, who suddenly realised how vulnerable he felt on the sofa. If he moved now, Mr Schue would see him adjusting his limp legs, and he really _hated_ people watching him do that. Before the teachers returned, Artie decided to pull himself together so that he could get the rest of his sleep in the privacy of the bedroom.

"Tina, will you pass me my chair please?" he whispered, fumbling around the coffee table for his glasses. When had it gotten so dark?

"Mr Schue, she's not there! How can she not be there, it's pitch black outside!" Artie felt his blood run cold. What was going on? Was someone missing?

"Will, she's not in the bathrooms either. Okay Finn, try and calm down."

"I can't calm down, where the hell is Rachel?"

Rachel Berry had disappeared? For real? Artie was sure he was dreaming, because Rachel wasn't the type of girl to just _disappear._

"Tina, did you hear that? Rachel's missing!" Artie finally managed to retrieve his glasses. He pushed them onto his nose haphazardly, and turned his attention to the cold space where Tina had previously been snoozing. "Tina?" he repeated, his voice tiny and utterly terrified. "Tina?"

"Dude, what the hell is all the noise? I need my beauty sleep," began Puck, who was almost growling with agitation on the floor.

"Mr Schuester!" cried Artie, not hiding the fear in his chest. "Mr Schuester!" More people began to stir because Artie was trying to be as loud as possible, and with the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, some were getting agitated already.

"Artie, can you keep it down? I'm really tired," moaned Mercedes.

"MR SCHUESTER!" Artie shouted so loud that he lost his balance and tumbled to the floor, his immovable legs falling onto Quinn as his shoulder collided with the coffee table. He felt angry, bitter tears forming in his eyes because everything was going wrong and Tina was missing and where the hell was Mr Schuester?

"Artie, are you okay?" Quinn was much more polite than Puck, who had half a mind to throw the kid through the window for disturbing him. "Are you crying? Are you hurt? Let me help you in your chair," she said soothingly, trying her best to drag him back onto the couch.

"I need Mr Schue," he sobbed, unable to stop himself from crying. Quinn wrapped her arms around him like a mother with an injured child because Artie was part of her family, and she couldn't bear to see him cry.

"Puck, get Mr Schue NOW!" she ordered, and Puck knew better than to oppose her when she was that pissed.

"You got it," he yawned as he stumbled into the darkness, not really sure what he was doing. He stupidly had his eyes half closed, and ended up crashing into Mr Schuester, who looked even angrier than Quinn. "Mr Schue, Artie's crying and shit and he needs you for something," he said with another yawn. Over Mr Schue's shoulder, Puck could see Emma trying to calm an uncontrollable Finn, who was either on the verge of an emotional breakdown or was in danger of exploding with rage. "What the hell is going on here?" Puck asked nobody in particular.

"Artie, what is it, what's wrong?" Will hurried to sit himself down beside Quinn, who was carefully wiping away Artie's tears.

"Tina's missing as well Mr Schue, she's missing!" Quinn's eyes widened along with Will's, who couldn't believe what he was hearing.

No, this had to be a good thing. One student missing was a worry, but two was encouraging; it most likely meant that they'd disappeared together, probably with an innocent explanation.

"As well? Who else is missing?" choked Quinn, who couldn't hide her horror.

"Rachel, it's Rachel, I can't find Rachel, I can't..."

Finn had promised himself that he wouldn't cry, but seeing Artie in pieces and hearing the words out loud felt like a knife in his chest. He hadn't seen Kurt wake up, but before he knew it, he was crying into the boy's hair, sobbing uncontrollably like a girl because Rachel was gone.

"Santana, do you have their numbers on your cell phone?" asked Mr Schue in a hardened, cold voice. He had to keep a clear head, and it was possible that it was just some scary misunderstanding.

Santana nodded numbly, not even bothering to explain why she had Rachel and Tina on speed dial. She pressed each number in turn, but when there was no answer, she felt her hand shake and her phone drop to the ground; Brittany had to hold her to keep her steady.

"I'll go look for them around the area," said Puck, no humour in his voice anymore.

"Us too," said a slightly sleepy, but determined Mike, who patted Matt once on the shoulder to wake him.

"Wait guys, we need to come up with some sort of plan," Will insisted, not realising that a plan was the last thing Puck wanted to hear. "I want everyone to pair up. Make sure that each pair has a working cell phone in case you need to be contacted. Hurry, come on, I don't care who works with who."

Will watched in slow motion as the glee kids were forced to wake up to the shocking reality of what was happening; all of the girls had tears in their eyes, and even Puck was having trouble staying strong.

"Right, here's what's going to happen. Artie, you stay here with Quinn and Miss Pillsbury." Before the two of them could protest, Will hurried on. "We need someone here in case Rachel and Tina return. Emma, let me know if anything happens by calling me." Emma nodded numbly while Quinn held on tightly to Artie's cold, quivering hand. "Puck, who are you pairing up with?"

"Santana and Brittany," he replied stonily. It was probably sexist or something, but Puck didn't want the girls going out on their own, even if they'd had their ups and downs in the past.

"Good. I want you three to walk towards the local convenience store. Once there, head straight back and don't stray from the path, okay?" The three nominees nodded in turn whilst Brittany made snuffling noises into Santana's shoulder.

"Matt, who are you going with?" asked Will, mentally making a checklist as he went along.

"Kurt and Mercedes," he said shakily.

"You three walk up to the beach and back. Again, once there, come back immediately. Mike and Finn, I want you to do a general sweep of the area. After fifteen minutes I want you to report back here. I'll drive up and down in the bus to see if I can see them."

If any of the kids had been sore with Mr Schue about the assignment debacle, all animosity had disappeared now. He had really stepped up when they needed him the most and it was a comfort to know that he could be so calm and collected in a crisis.

"Is everyone clear on what they're doing? Do not split up, do not go any further than your allocated routes, and if you need anything at all, call either Miss Pillsbury or myself. Do you all have our numbers from the vacation itinerary I sent you last week?"

**Glee!**

Finn was a fucking mess. Even though he was completely cut up about Rachel's disappearance (and Tina's), he couldn't focus on anything but his anger. Why the _hell_ would she go anywhere without letting someone know? It was so out of character that it scared him shitless, and despite the inspiring teamwork around him, he continued to focus on the worst possible outcome.

"Come on man, keep it together. We'll find them, I promise we'll find them." It was nice to hear Mike's confidence, but Finn couldn't do much apart from nod now and again. He was frightened that if he opened his mouth, he wouldn't stop screaming.

And then an idea hit him that made him smile and frown at the same time. He hadn't been able to understand why Rachel had paired up with Tina of all people, but they had the day before as well... the fucking speedboats. If this was the case, why had they gone so late?

Unless there had been an accident.

"Mike, is that Tina over there?" Finn managed to croak, pointing into a random patch of darkness. "Just run over there, I think it's her!"

It was a lie, a terrible one if Mike believed him, but Finn felt like he had to do this on his own. When Mike sprinted into the pitch black, Finn let his legs run as fast as they were able. He ignored the tightness in his chest and the burning in his muscles because Rachel and Tina needed him, he just _knew_ it. He was well aware that he had a long way to run, but that didn't bother him.

Because, let's face it, you have to put things in perspective now and again, and Finn Hudson was willing to run a million miles to make sure that Rachel Berry was safe.

**A/N: **Thank you so much Mel! I would have replied personally, but since you don't have an account, I just wanted to thank you here. That really meant a lot to me :') And thank you to lolo5302 as well. I'm very glad you're enjoying it so far!

Something I'm trying to keep an eye on is my Englishness. A few people have commented on my spelling/grammar/phrases, and though I try really hard to keep it American (so to speak), some things slip by, and some things I'm not even aware that I'm doing! So yes, thanks to those who pointed it out; I'll try my best to ditch my English roots when I'm writing this ;)

Okay, nearly 10,000 words and I'm done. Thanks for your reviews as always!


	21. Chapter 21

**This chapter contains dark themes (relating to death) and strong language. Enjoy! ;D**

_Will was unashamedly staring at Emma, because when you were in a room with nothing but a Neanderthal skull and a huge array of historical information, it was easy to become distracted._

_Emma knew that he was watching her. She'd known since they'd first entered the museum that he wasn't exactly focused on the exhibits, but strangely, it didn't bother her. _

"_Would you like any extra information on this artefact, miss?" came the over confident voice of the curator. Emma wanted to say no, but as her eyes locked onto Will's, she found that she couldn't say no; in fact, she couldn't say a thing. Instead, all she could do was nod, which the woman responded to with a smug smile. "Neanderthals, also known as Neandertals, Neanderthaloids, Homo sapiens neanderthalensis and Homo neanderthalensis..."_

_Will didn't take in much of the information, but he pretty much memorised each little change in Emma's body movements, and the way her eyes would stare at him before fluttering away in embarrassment, and the fake smile that she'd flash at the curator compared to the genuine smile she'd save for him. It didn't matter anymore that she wasn't interested in him; he was through with trying to force them together (he conveniently ignored his eagerness for the two of them to visit the museum alone)._

"_There is evidence for some amount of social networking between Neanderthals, including-"_

"_MySpace and Facebook?" Will didn't know why h'de said that, and Emma didn't know why she laughed. The curator, who had been babbling on for the best part of an hour, looked abashed and infuriated, which didn't help Emma's sudden onset of giggles. "I'm sorry, that was totally out of line," Will said in a half laugh, "this is all very interesting, th-thanks for talking to us." _

_Emma pulled a tissue from her handbag to try and pretend she was sneezing as opposed to crying so hard that tears were rolling down her cheeks. The curator sniffed indignantly, looked at her watch, then began to head towards one of the adjoining rooms that housed many other exhibits._

"_If you can excuse me, I'm afraid I have another tour group waiting for me." She didn't wait for any more apologies, and instead flounced out of the room, not even bothering to grant them both a smile. _

_Emma waited until the woman had left before gawping at Will in shock. "That was unexpected," she giggled, wiping away the remnants of her laughter._

"_Come on Emma, you can't deny that her ability to gain enthusiasm was a little lacklustre? I'm usually eager to learn anything and everything, but her voice was like a bee buzzing in my ear." He shrugged with a grin. "Besides, I think we've outstayed our welcome in this part of the museum. Let's see if we can make another curator feel incredibly awkward."_

_And then Emma smiled like she had just seen the sun for the first time, and Will Schuester was positive that nothing more beautiful existed in the world._

Now here he was, driving aimlessly up and down a dark, foreign road, looking for two girls that were missing, the two he least expected it from. Will pulled over to try and calm himself down whilst checking his cell for the countless time that night; still no news.

It made no sense. They could rule out kidnapping, because one of the others would have heard the commotion, right? Right, that's what Will kept telling himself; kidnapping just didn't fit the criteria.

It couldn't be a runaway attempt, because for one thing, Rachel had left Finn behind, and for another... well, it just wasn't _plausible._ He didn't know what Tina's background was like, but Will knew Rachel had nothing to run from, especially while they were on vacation.

Which meant that they'd probably gone somewhere together without letting anyone know.

But that was very irresponsible, and Rachel Berry and Tina Cohen-Chang were anything but irresponsible. Maybe he'd missed a note, or a phone call, or _something? _Something had to point them in the right direction, because Will was out of ideas and it was getting later by the second.

His phone buzzed once, and he didn't hesitate to answer.

"Hello, what is it, are they back?" he said in a rushed, erratic breath.

"It's Emma, and no, they're not back yet."

Will felt his whole body slump with exhaustion; he was positive that he had to be dreaming. "Oh, but you have some news?" he asked dejectedly.

"Yes, and it's good news Will." Will straightened himself up, everything focused on what Emma was going to say next.

"Go on."

**Glee!**

"I'm having second thoughts about this, Rachel," said Tina quietly as they waited in the small line beside the lake.

"About what exactly?" asked the little brunette. Her eyes were too busy shining with excitement to notice Tina's apprehensive grimace.

"I don't understand why we've come so late." Her voice was soft and thoughtful, since she didn't want to upset or offend Rachel. "Isn't it dangerous to be doing this at night?"

Rachel resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "They wouldn't travel if it was dangerous," she said slowly, like she was talking to a small child. "Besides, when we visited yesterday, I decided to read the information board, and the twilight rides are supposed to be the most breath taking and exhilarating." Tina raised a sceptical eyebrow. "And they are no way related to those books about vampires."

"That's such a shame!" Rachel and Tina both jumped at the intrusion to see two girls smiling wildly in front of them in the queue.

"Excuse me?" sniffed Rachel in a slightly cold manner. The stranger looked taken aback.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was listening to you talking and-"

"I'm Candice, and this is nosy Rosie," began the slightly taller of the two. She held out her hand to Rachel, but only Tina was polite enough to shake it.

"I'm Rosie," the other girl repeated with a grin.

"Nice to meet you both," smiled Tina shyly, "my name's Tina, and this is-"

"I'm Rachel Berry, future New York Broadway star."

Rachel couldn't help it sometimes. When she felt intimidated by others, she responded with a defensive manoeuvre. This was a perfect example; here stood two classically beautiful girls, and all Rachel could think about was making herself look good (which didn't seem to impress Tina).

"New York? That's where we're from!" cooed Rosie. Candice nodded as she wrapped her arms around herself to stay warm.

"R-really?" asked Rachel. She tried to hide her jealousy and curiosity, but didn't really succeed.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be you know," Candice insisted, "we don't have such quaint little amusements like this!" She looked towards the lake, her eyes fixated on the boats.

"So, are you girls-" began Rosie, but Rachel was already bored by the conversation.

"If you can excuse us, I need to talk to my friend." All three girls were surprised by the hostility in Rachel's voice; Candice's eyebrows knitted together in frustration, Rosie managed a pained smile, and Tina simply looked embarrassed.

"Sure, we'll just... yeah," apologised Rosie. She turned back to Candice, leaving Tina looking a little outraged.

"There's no need to be so rude," she began, but Rachel simply shrugged.

"I don't appreciate people interrupting conversations like that, especially strangers." She turned her nose up at the thought of what had just happened. "So, where were we? Oh yes, coming so late. Hopefully it will enhance our experience."

Tina gritted her teeth. "And why couldn't we tell the others?" she asked shortly.

Rachel huffed in exasperation; it really _was _like talking to a toddler. "Because Finn would have managed to talk me out of it; he has a strange power over me that I can't always overcome." While Rachel stared at the stars and sighed at the thought of Finn, Tina looked at her watch guiltily. It all seemed like a very bad idea; maybe Finn was controlling or whatever she was getting at, but Artie would have understood... almost certainly... probably... maybe...

Well, he might have understood a little?

"Maybe I should call Artie to make sure he got the note," she said, mainly to herself.

Rachel snapped out of her daydream, and placed her hand on Tina's shoulder in what she assumed was a comforting gesture. "Don't worry Tina, I left it in clear view. Ooh look, the line is moving!"

**Glee!**

Finn had never really had a good sense of direction. It was one thing to get confused in broad daylight five minutes from his house, but it was another to be completely lost in the middle of nowhere, alone, in the darkness that was slowly scaring the shit out of him. He was a big boy and everything, but who liked the dark, apart from vampires? And his mom had told him so many things, like how you weren't supposed to walk down a creepy alley late at night, or how to always stick to the path that was lit up by streetlights.

Finn slowed to a stop, breathing heavily, his legs aching. He had no idea where he was, which pissed him off, because he should have paid attention to the scenery when Mr Schue drove them down to the beach the day before. What had he been doing? Oh yeah, sleeping 'cause he'd been sick.

"Shit," he hissed loudly as he gazed up at the sky. There and then, he wished he was one of those Red Indians who could read maps from the stars (and unashamedly, he even squinted really hard to see if any of them looked like Rachel).

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He'd never hoped for anything so much as he did then, but as he retrieved his cell and saw the name Mike flashing on and off, he was sure that God had something against him.

He didn't answer.

**Glee!**

Artie had been a mess until he'd found the note. To be honest, being in his chair was something that he was never thankful for, but in times like these, he hated it with a passion. Finn was out there looking for his girlfriend, and Artie was stuck inside with Quinn and Miss Pillsbury, both of whom were trying desperately to cheer him up.

It seemed silly, looking back at the initial panic. No one had bothered to search the beach house for a written explanation, and before Artie had been able to understand what was going on, everyone had disappeared, intent on finding Rachel and Tina when they had no leads or ideas.

He'd seen it on the small table beside the door. It wasn't the biggest piece of paper, but it was big enough to be noticed, and he'd only found it because he'd been trying to escape. He liked Quinn, and Miss Pillsbury, but their constant 'Are you okay? We'll find them Artie, we'll find them' had driven him mad. No he was _not_ okay, and there was no 'we' about it; he just had to sit and wait.

So he'd tried to make a metaphorical run for it. He would have made it as well, if his attention hadn't been diverted by the piece of crisp, white paper that had Rachel's pretty scrawl all over it. As he lifted it in his hand, he almost ripped it with nerves and excitement, because this was the answer that everyone had missed, and finally, he could help them find the girls.

_Finn, Artie and everyone else that is concerned about our safety-_

_Tina and I, Rachel Berry, have taken a trip to the section of the beach that we visited yesterday to try out the speedboats. Though the actual ride lasts no more than fifteen minutes, I expect there is a high demand for seats. Therefore, I'm not sure when we'll be back, but we'll return as soon as we're done._

_See you soon!_

"M-Miss Pillsbury! Quinn! I kn-know where they are!"

It felt good to be the hero now and again.

**Glee!**

Mike Chang was a dead man, or as close to one as he could get. Mr Schue had been insistent that they weren't allowed to split up, and yet stupidly, he'd somehow _lost_ Finn. If it wasn't bad enough that his assignment partner and crush were missing, one of Mike's best friends had disappeared too, and now he had no idea what he was doing.

His first thought was to call Mr Schue and explain the situation, but Mike hesitated; Finn had distracted him for a reason, hadn't he? Maybe he knew something that Mike didn't, and maybe he had to find the girls on his own...

He was screwed big time. He thought about contacting Matt, because the two of them were practically brothers, but he didn't want to worry him either. Besides, Matt would only tell Mercedes and Kurt, then the gossip would spread like wild fire.

Mike tried calling Finn, but for the third time in the last ten minutes, the call had been rejected. At least that meant that the idiot was still alive (though that would probably change once Mike got a hold of him).

"Relax," he whispered out loud. Getting stressed wasn't going to help. No, he'd have to try and find Finn in the infinite darkness, that was all.

His cell played a strange, remixed sound that made Mike sigh in relief. "Hello?" he said breathlessly, waiting to hear either Finn or Tina on the other end.

"Mike, this is Miss Pillsbury. You're partnered up with Finn right?"

Oh shiiiii- "Yep, he's here with me," he lied, smooth as he could be.

"Could you two hurry and head back to the beach house? We know where Tina and Rachel are, and once everyone's back, we're going to go pick them up. Can you get here as quickly as possible?"

Mike nodded numbly until he realised she couldn't see him. "Sure thing, that's great news, great... Bye." He had to stop himself from throwing his cell phone onto the grass and smashing it under his heel. What the hell was he going to do now?

He tried calling Finn one last time, but since he was cut off _again,_ he assumed he could handle it by himself. Maybe he knew where they were? Maybe he'd found them already?

He headed back to the house in a quick jog. Mike Chang was a dead man.

**Glee!**

Rachel and Tina had been waiting for almost twenty minutes for their turn on the boat. The silence had started off as acceptable, but as each minute ticked by, it seemed to get more and more awkward. Rachel was fine with amusing herself with her own thoughts, but all Tina could think about was the two girls that Rachel had alienated. They were still stood in front of them, waiting for their own turn, but neither of them had dared to even look behind them, and Tina couldn't help but feel responsible for her friend's behaviour, even if the girl had been the best Butterfly team member.

"Excuse me, Rosie and Candice?" Tina's voice was extremely quiet, so much so that she was surprised to see the girls turn to face her (though both of them looked a little wary). "You said you were from New York? What's it like there?"

That's all it had taken for the strangers to become comfortable again. Tina was bombarded with all kinds of stories and jokes, and though it was a little overwhelming, she decided that she liked Rosie and Candice, despite Rachel's reservations.

Rachel didn't contribute at all. She couldn't put her finger on it, but the girls were _too _perfect. She judged that they were three or four years older than them, which meant that they were probably old enough to drink alcohol, and that was a big deal for some people. Rosie was just a little taller than Tina, and Candice taller than Rosie, and both of them were extremely skinny, despite having, Rachel noticed with a hint of jealousy, rather large boobs. While Candice's hair was short and blonde, Rosie's resembled Rachel's, though if anything, it was a little longer (yet Rachel was sure her colour was from a bottle).

And yes, it went without saying that they were both beautiful; this was what irritated Rachel the most. How was it that some people were blessed with everything, while others had to simply rely on their amazing, angelic voices? Quinn Fabray was exactly the same way; blonde, beautiful, perfect body, average singing capabilities, and she was _popular;_ Rachel didn't know the meaning of the word.

But, when it all came down to it, Rachel was jealous because if Finn had been present, he would have been impressed. Though he was a model boyfriend most of the time, she couldn't expect him not to look at other girls, and these two would have enticed him for sure.

_This is ridiculous. You're worried that Finn would fall for these bland strangers when he's not even here! This relationship will never work unless you trust him! I'm your conscience, and I know these things!_

"Rachel, are you okay?" Rachel looked at Tina with a frown on her face; had they asked her a question?

"Why wouldn't I be?" she snapped, causing Tina to wince.

"Sorry, just come on, it's finally our turn!" Tina (rather reluctantly) grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her towards the lake, where Rosie and Candice were being handed life jackets.

"Orange, seriously? Excuse me sir, do you have any other colours, like pink? This doesn't compliment my outfit at all." Rachel rolled her eyes; this Rosie girl needed to meet Kurt Hummel.

"Sorry, orange is all we got," said the boat's driver in a gruff, unimpressed voice. "If you wanna ride you gotta wear the jackets, a'right?" The girls looked like they wanted to complain, but with a bit of a fuss, they managed to get them on (and Rachel agreed with Rosie's statement; it didn't do her any favours). "Everyone on, and then we'll go through the safety procedures!"

**Glee!**

Will was ashamed to say that he'd broken the speed limit as he'd raced back to the house, but that was understandable in the circumstances. Emma had suggested heading straight to the beach on his own, but with the shock and confusion of the night already, Will wanted to make sure that everyone was safe and accounted for.

He finally arrived at the house, and almost drove straight through the window in his haste. He entered the room, counted the numbers, then counted them again.

"Eleven, including me? Eleven?" He scanned the room again. "Eleven? Who's missing?" His eyes finally rested on Emma, who looked guiltily towards Mike.

"Finn disappeared. He told Mike that he'd seen the girls, and whilst he had him distracted, Finn made a run for it."

The words went in one ear and out the other. What the _hell_ was Finn playing at? Strangely, Will found it amazingly easy not to scream down Mike's throat, because it obviously hadn't been his fault. No, the time for screaming and shouting was over; this had to be taken care of calmly and swiftly.

"Have you tried calling him?" he said, hoping that they'd simply overlooked that simple gesture.

"A few times," Mike whispered. "I'm so sorry Mr Schue, I don't know what happened-" Will strode forward, and though it probably made the kid feel incredibly awkward, he wrapped a supportive arm around his shoulder.

"It's not your fault. Finn's probably taking it a lot harder than the rest of us, but don't worry, we'll find him too."

"Not if I find the fucker first," snarled Puck. Emma gasped like a little child while Quinn sighed in exasperation.

"Puck, this is not the time-"

"Of course this is the time!" he yelled at the blonde. "For all he knows, Rachel and Tina could have been _dead_, and he thought it was a good idea to run off and be the frickin' hero!" Puck had a problem with his temper now and again, and only after he'd yelled did he realise what he'd _actually_ said. He turned to Artie immediately with guilt written across his face. "Dude, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Mr Schue, can we go now?" the boy in the wheelchair asked weakly. "We need to find them all."

Will nodded sombrely. "We'll all go. If Finn comes back to an empty house, he'll know to call us. Is everyone ready?"

**Glee!**

The 'safety procedures' had been nothing more than common sense; don't remove your life jacket, don't stick your hand near the engine, don't throw yourself overboard, and don't distract the driver. Tina and Rachel had taken their seats beside Rosie and Candice (not Rachel's choice) and a fairly old couple who enjoyed a weekly boat trip at night.

With their life jackets on and the sound of the roaring engine, Rachel was beginning to have second thoughts about their decision. Maybe Finn had been right; was she ready for this? She'd been so determined to go through with it to prove him wrong that by the time she was ready, she realised it was the last thing she wanted to do.

"A'right then, hold on tight!" called the driver. Rachel wanted to protest, wanted to get off, wanted to run back to Finn and admit that she was a coward, but the boat was suddenly moving, and she was stricken with an overwhelming fear that something was going to go wrong.

"Oh my God, look at how fast we're going!" laughed Tina in Rachel's ear.

"Y-yeah, cool!" she shouted back, despite having her eyes scrunched tight.

"Oh hoho, is the Broadway star a bit of a baby?" giggled one of the girls over the sound of the engine. Rachel opened her eyes with a scowl.

"I'm not a baby," she huffed, glaring at the brunette (Rosie? Candice? Who cared?) with as much force as she could muster. She managed to turn her attention to Tina, who looked like she was going to topple over into the water. "Tina, move back, that's really dangerous!" she insisted before grabbing her friend by the arm. Tina tried to shake her off, but had no luck; Rachel's grip was amazingly strong.

"Rachel, calm down and try to enjoy yourself! Look at how beautiful the beach houses are from here!" Tina pointed towards the land, and for the first time, Rachel realised that yes, the lights in the darkness did look rather beautiful, though she would have appreciated them more if they hadn't been going at over forty miles an hour.

"Actually, this is kind of thrilling," she managed to breathe (she was sure she'd been holding her breath since the beginning of the ride).

"It would be more thrilling if I didn't look so hideous in this thing!" called Rosie, who had decided to start adjusting the straps on her life jacket. Despite her dislike of the loud, perfect strangers, Rachel wasn't stupid enough to ignore that. They had to wear the jackets for a reason, and messing with them even slightly was a one way ticket to trouble.

"You shouldn't do that!" she shouted, gesturing to her own jacket. "They're supposed to save you, not make you look like a beauty queen!"

Rosie waved her off. "Chillax little strawberry, we're going to be fine." Rachel wanted _so much_ to be able to wave her own concern off. She knew that she was seen as a bit of a party pooper (and other things besides), but this wasn't just a case of turning down the music; this could end in a fatal disaster, something the silly girls didn't seem to understand.

"I'll tell the driver!" she threatened, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.

"This is amazing!" screamed Tina as the boat jumped over the water with ease. Rachel tried to smile genuinely at her, but all she felt was an impact, and all she saw was the darkness.

**Glee!**

Somehow, Finn had made it. Somehow, he'd managed to stumble across the only section of the beach that was faintly familiar to him, even though he was pretty sure he'd made a few too many detours.

But hell, what did that matter? All he knew was that he was a five minute sprint from the boat place, and (hopefully) a five minute sprint to Rachel and Tina.

His goddamn cell phone began to buzz again. Out of frustration, Finn pulled it from his pocket, hit answer, then shouted down the phone. "What the hell do you want?"

"Finn, where are you? This is Miss Pillsbury."

Under any other circumstances, Finn would have felt like a complete douche, but he had bigger things on his mind.

"I'm at the beach, I think Rachel and Tina might be here."

"Oh, that's wonderful, we're on our way. The girls left a note to say they were going on a speedboat or something?"

Finn began to run in elation. He'd been right after all; if that wasn't a sign of true love, he wasn't sure what was. "Yeah, that's what I figured, I'm almost there," he panted, falling into a comfortable jog that allowed him to speak on his cell. "Sorry that I left Mike, I just needed to do this on my own."

"Don't worry about that, we're just glad that you're safe. Are you almost there?"

"I think so. There's a small queue near the lake, and-" Finn didn't stop talking, but his words were drowned out by a deathly scream.

"Finn! Finn? What's going on?" cried Emma, but she went unanswered. Finn could see perfectly what was going on; fifteen people in orange jackets were thrashing in the water next to a capsized fucking speedboat.

"They've crashed," he choked before hanging up on the shell shocked guidance counsellor. His body went into overdrive because he didn't have time to stand crying and screaming and shit.

He ran directly towards the queue of horrified people, some of whom were sobbing helplessly.

"When did it happen?" he managed to ask. He had to shout a few times before he was heard, but finally, a young boy, slightly younger than Finn, turned to face him, fear etched on his features.

"Just now. We were just waiting for our go and it just overturned man! What are we gonna do?"

Finn scanned the scene, trying to work out the best plan of action. He needed a boat, any kind of boat, 'cause they were too far out for him to swim there.

"Is there a small boat nearby, or a raft, or anything?" he shouted. The onlookers seemed to be coming to their senses, and after a few moments of hysterical behaviour, a few people stepped forward to help.

"There's a dinghy tied up over there!" called a middle aged woman, and Finn wasted no time in jumping in.

"I'll help," volunteered the young boy, who was followed by an elderly man and his granddaughter.

"We need some oars or something, right?" breathed Finn, who was having a hard time staying calm. The man pulled the plastic oars from the side of the boat, and once he'd managed to untie the rope, they were ready to go.

"Here, you take this one and I'll take the other. Are you ready? And row, row, row!"

Finn didn't think about the likelihood of injuries (and deaths), because in his mind, everyone was going to be alright, especially Rachel and Tina. Especially them.

"Row, row, row, row!" the man continued to shout, and though a little slow at first, the dinghy picked up gradual speed in the direction of the accident. The closer they got, the more jackets Finn could see, yet he still couldn't spot the two faces that he desperately needed to find.

"We're almost there! Try and help as many into the boat as you can!" he shouted hoarsely, his eyes fixated on the water.

Closer. Closer. Closer. All Finn could see was the orange of the jackets, because unsurprisingly, it was incredibly dark on the water. They needed to be even closer to help, even closer to find Rachel-

"Here, help him up!" Finn's head snapped towards the old guy, who had found the first straggler. With a groan and a tug of team work, Finn, the boy, girl and man managed to pull a frightened kid into the dinghy.

"Th-thank you, thank you so much! Can you help my mom? I can't find her!" he choked, spitting water over the edge of the boat.

Finn was disgusted to feel angry at the boy. For a split second, he wanted to tell the kid to forget about his mom and everyone else, but this notion passed as quickly as it had begun. He'd have to rescue Rachel and Tina as they went along, but not before, as painful as it was.

"We need to get a bit closer!" called the girl, who pointed towards a cluster of orange jackets. Finn dragged the plastic oar through the water in time with the old man, his eyes looking for any trace of Rachel (and Tina, don't forget about Tina!).

And then Finn heard the words he never wanted to hear. "There's someone drowning over there, can you see her long brown hair?" His arms moved incredibly fast, too fast for the elderly man to keep up, and before he knew it, Finn was leaning into the water, pulling his dying girlfriend from the darkness.

"Someone help me!" he screamed, his eyes filling with hesitant tears. He saw another pair of hands latch onto Rachel's clothes, and with one swift movement, she was in the boat, no longer breathing.

"Quick, we need to get the water out of her lungs!" suggested an anonymous voice. Finn felt his whole world become dizzy, because Rachel was motionless and pale. He knelt down beside her and tried to brush the hair from her face.

"Move out of the way kid!" cried the old guy. He began to press clumsily on her chest, trying to restart the heart that had given up, but it was no use; none of them knew what they were doing, and there were other people to save.

"Finn! Finn, is that you? Help, Finn, help, I can't hold these people up!"

Finn was staring down through a flood of tears at the dead body of his girlfriend, yet he could clearly hear her voice... from behind him. He rubbed his eyes roughly and held back his tears, because he was _sure_ he could hear her, he was sure he could hear Rachel Berry shouting to him.

He turned to look into the darkness, where orange life jackets littered the water. He heard his name again, and saw Rachel paddling towards him, three people clinging onto her arms.

"Rach-" He turned back to the still girl that lay awkwardly in the boat, and without his tears clouding his sight, he realised that she looked nothing like Rachel, apart from her hair.

He didn't waste any more time. With the help of a stranger, he lifted three people into the boat, each as thankful as the last. Finn reached for Rachel's hand, but she didn't respond.

"I have to find Tina! I have to help the others!"

Now was probably not the time for Finn to tell Rachel how much he fucking loved her.

"I need to borrow your jacket," he pleaded to one of the passengers, who was more than happy to hand it over. Though it was extremely tight on his chest, Finn pulled it over his head, and without a moment's regret, he dived into the water, ready to save as many people as he could.

**Glee!**

"Will, hurry, put your foot down!" screamed Emma. The glee club were a mess. Everyone had heard Finn's declaration, and unsurprisingly, no one was taking it lightly. Puck had already been sick twice, Brittany couldn't stop crying, and Artie had gone into emotional shock, unable to process what was happening.

"I can't go any faster unless I kill everyone!" Will yelled back. His knuckles were white as his hands clenched the steering wheel in despair, his face was pouring with sweat, and his heart was beating a mile a minute.

"Here, it's here, it's here!" Emma insisted, ready to jump out of the bus as soon as it slowed.

"Everyone stay here, me and Miss Pillsbury can handle this-"

"Like hell you can! They're our team members-"

"Let me out, I can swim-"

"I can carry Artie-"

"Shut up!" screamed Will, his breathing haggard and erratic. "There is NO point in everyone risking their lives! Once the-"

Will was cut off by the blaring sirens of two ambulances and a police car. Everyone stared in unison, in shock, as the vehicles sped past onto the sand, spraying debris over the windscreen of the bus.

"Fuck it, I'm going." Puck was out of the bus and running straight for the lake before Will had time to adjust himself. He was closely followed by Mike, though he managed to stop Matt before he fled too.

"Wait, we need to stick together. Everybody grab someone's hand, and once we're all in a chain, only then will I open this door again. Got it?"

**Glee!**

For ten long, excruciating minutes, Finn, Rachel and the other helpers worked to find everyone lost in the lake. The driver had been found, as had most of the passengers, but Tina, Candice and a young boy were still missing.

"Rachel, go and rest, you're exhausted," shouted Finn over the commotion. Rachel ignored his concern, because there was no way that she was abandoning Tina.

"The lifeguard is on the way!" called an anonymous voice. "Come and wait in the boat, they'll do the rest!"

Rachel ignored the stranger's concern too, because out of the corner of her eye, she could see Tina holding onto two other people; bingo. A sudden, last burst of adrenaline pounded through her veins, willing her tired body on, strengthening her legs and arms as she swam. She could feel Finn behind her somehow, like her guardian angel, and that was a great comfort, more than she cared to admit.

"Tina," she gasped as she finally pulled her friend towards her. She looked cold, understandably, and shaken, but she was alive, as were the two beside her. "Come on, Finn and I will help you three get to the boat." Tina struggled to hold on, but with the strong grasp of Finn, she managed to paddle slowly towards the boat, Candice and the boy following closely behind her. There was a flurry of activity, a mass of eager hands, and with a shaken sigh of relief, Tina was pulled into the boat that was crowded with shocked, thankful survivors. Candice was next, then the nameless boy, and as a chivalrous act, Finn offered Rachel to be helped up first, though she refused to let go of his cold, shivering hand.

The lifeguard sped towards them too late, though people were pulled onto the new boat to combat the overcrowding. No one had time to focus on the one motionless body that sat amongst the friends and family, because now was not the time for mourning; now was the time to be thankful for everything in life. As Finn held Rachel tightly against his chest, he was thankful for the help of strangers, and Rachel, who clung to Finn's sodden shirt, was thankful for her boyfriend.

**Glee!**

The lake had gained many spectators since the accident had occurred, despite the time and the chill in the air. Amongst the crowd stood ten terrified students and teachers from McKinley High, another to make eleven was hanging awkwardly in Puck's firm grasp. None of them had known what to expect, or known how to act, but with the emergency services on hand, there was little they could do apart from watch like all the other drama-hungry vultures, some who speculated about the number of dead bodies that the lifeguard would recover.

Painfully, the two boats made their way back to land, filled with terrified victims and rescuers and everything in between. Will's eyes were tear-free, because he needed to know who was safe, and he needed to know who wasn't. Puck could feel Artie trembling in his grasp and could hear him sobbing quietly. He wanted to tell him that things would turn out okay, but every time he tried to speak, he was worried that he was going to cry too. Kurt wasn't afraid to let the tears fall while Mercedes couldn't stop shaking from side to side.

The lifeboat was the first to pull up against the beach. The police stopped people from bombarding the survivors so that the paramedics could intervene, but no one needed to move to see the white body being transferred to a stretcher. Attempts were made to start her heart, to breathe air back into her lungs, but she was gone; all the glee club saw was a small dead girl with long brown hair; Santana let out a terrifying, heart wrenching scream.

"Rachel! RACHEL!" she screamed incessantly, taken over by honest, raw grief. "Rachel!"

Rachel was huddled in the dinghy, unable to process anything but the sound of her name. The voice was filled by so much pain and sorrow that she had to pinch herself to make sure she was alive.

"Am I dead?" she whispered dumbly to Finn, who squeezed her even tighter than before.

"No, you're alive Rachel, I would never have let you die." Finn pressed his face into Rachel's hair, only to hear Santana's screams. "Is that... that's not Santana, is it?" The couple squinted into the darkness, unable to pinpoint the location of the noise. Rachel scanned the crowd of onlookers, only to see Rosie, the girl who had adjusted her life jacket, lying dead on a stretcher.

"Oh my God," she choked, unable to stop herself from weeping instantly. She should have saved her, she _should _have saved her!

"They think it's you Rachel," Finn said in a whisper. "I thought it was you. I thought that you'd... I thought-"

Despite the strain in her legs and the breathlessness in her chest, Rachel struggled from Finn's grip and waded as fast as she could through the water, towards the beach, towards the group of people that had never realised how much they'd really cared about Rachel Berry.

As she got closer, the sight of Rosie's dead body suddenly made her scream uncontrollably. She should have saved her.

**A/N: **To be continued in the next chapter. I'm hoping I pulled this off okay, because I literally changed my direction two days ago (my original plan was to have Rachel and Tina in critical conditions, but I decided against that).

Thanks for your reviews, and hope you enjoyed this slight twist in the story!


	22. Chapter 22

Everything was a chaotic blur. Left, right and centre stood hysterical spectators, victims and emergency services, trying to help, trying to stay calm, and trying to take in what had happened.

Will Schuester had never felt so lost. He needed to tell Santana to stop screaming, but he couldn't engage his voice, let alone his thoughts. Rachel Berry was... was dead?

"Santana," he croaked finally, his throat indescribably dry. He wanted to reach forward to squeeze her shoulder, or just _hold_ her, but it felt like his legs were made of stone. The girl he was addressing didn't reply, but instead stumbled towards the lake, pushing through the throng of faceless people, intent on hearing the terrible words from Finn.

"Please, I'm her friend, oh God, Rosie, oh God..."

Santana stopped, partly because some form of hope had materialised in the pit of her stomach, and partly because Kurt had run forward to grab her hand. She didn't register the foreign contact at first, and jumped five seconds later at the occurrence.

"Don't do this," he pleaded, but she wasn't listening. A blonde girl was on the verge of a breakdown beside one of the ambulances, and her appearance had Santana captivated. Mascara was smeared across her face and her eyes were swollen and raw, yet that was nothing compared to the agony that radiated from her body.

"Rosie, is she okay? Please hang in there Rosie. Please save her, please..." Santana stared in silence as the blonde ran towards the girl on the stretcher and clung to her hand like her life depended on it. Santana wondered, rather heartlessly, numbly, if the girl was already cold with death. "Rosie..."

Kurt heard the name, and it was the best, and worst feeling he could experience. It wasn't Rachel that had died, thankfully, but it was someone else, another young girl, another friend to a different group of people, and that wasn't something to celebrate.

The rest of the club appeared beside Kurt and Santana, waiting for someone to tell them that the terrible truth was a lie.

"Is it?" asked Mercedes breathlessly.

Kurt reached out his other hand (he was still holding Santana's) to touch Mercedes softly on the shoulder as he shook his head. "It's not her."

Every person in the group let out a sigh of slight relief, but they weren't out of the woods yet.

"Over there!" shrieked Quinn, whose attention had been focused elsewhere. She pointed away from the boats, and shakily to the lake itself, where a very familiar girl stood, weeping. "It's Rachel."

**Glee!**

Finn's job wasn't over, no matter how tired, emotionally and physically, he was. The movies portray heroes wrong, you know; one act of bravery isn't always the end of the story. He'd saved Rachel, which was awesome, but what she needed now was comfort and support. She'd disappeared so quickly that he hadn't had time to react, so as she headed for the crowd, he hurried to follow her, terrified of losing her again.

She'd stopped, the water brushing against her knees (she was _so small_, Finn thought with a humourless grin) and as he came up behind her, he could hear her sobbing to herself. Like it was second nature to him, Finn wrapped his cold arms around Rachel and lifted her against his chest, whispering words of encouragement that he had trouble believing himself.

"I should have saved her," Rachel said between whimpers and sobs. Finn wasn't totally sure what she meant by that, but they had all the time in the world to talk about their feelings and stuff; his main priority was to get her checked over, and then they could go back to the beach house to rest.

"Come on Rach, we need to get back and make sure Tina is safe." If he could be completely honest, Tina was Finn's last concern, but he wanted Rachel to have some kind of distraction, and since she hardened up almost instantly, he assumed it had worked. "Are you okay to walk? I can carry you."

Rachel shook her head fiercely whilst she lowered herself back into the water. "I can do this myself, I'm not a baby," she snapped coldly, which took Finn by surprise.

"O-of course, sorry, I didn't mean-"

Rachel left Finn to apologise to the air. He wouldn't be able to understand what she was going through, and frankly, she didn't want him to experience her pain. Of course she was grateful for his help (she had plenty of time to thank him properly), but she shouldn't have needed help; none of them should. What had happened? She had no idea, but now wasn't the time for being a drama queen; the girl called Rosie had died, so she didn't need to be treated like an invalid; she was one of the lucky ones.

She felt Finn's strong yet gentle grip on her shoulders, and if she hadn't needed to cry so hard, she could have laughed; he was so persistent that it was rather adorable. She turned slowly around to face him, her eyes shimmering with sadness and pity and gratitude and a million other things that she couldn't quite explain. Again, if she hadn't been so confused and angry at herself, Rachel would have appreciated the look of personal torment on Finn's face; it meant that he was having trouble putting his thoughts into words, and she _loved_ that he was imperfect like that.

"Look, Rach, something's making you sad, and I get that you probably want to be on your own..." He looked up at the star ridden sky before he continued, staring back down at Rachel. "But for a scary however-long-it's-been, I thought that I'd lost you forever, and there's no way I can just let you be alone, alright?" Rachel raised an eyebrow to question his intentions; Finn gulped loudly, but with a determined nod, he decided to bite the bullet. "Actually, I don't care if it's not alright. I'm putting my foot down, and I refuse to leave your side."

Rachel always had a hard time controlling herself when Finn was around. Even when he was dating Quinn, and she was dating Jesse respectively, there had been an unbearable chemistry between them that had resulted in illicit, sensual kisses and emotional turmoil that lasted until their next morally wrong embrace.

Like now, for example. Finn's words had touched Rachel's heart, and all she wanted to do was kiss him senseless and give him everything he ever wanted.

But it wasn't the time. Their love was the most important thing in the world to Rachel, but for one rare moment, it had to be put on hold for everyone else. It was incredibly difficult to do, but instead of pressing her lips against his to wait for his response, Rachel took his hand and kissed that instead.

"Of course. Come on, we need to find Tina."

**Glee!**

Tina's head was spinning, unable to grasp what had actually happened. Was it about karma? Seriously, how often did these freak accidents occur? Because maybe it was payback for the time in second grade when she'd intentionally squashed and killed a spider just for the fun of it. She glanced around, dazed, at the other people that were sat around her in the lifeguard's boat. Some looked sick, some looked frightened, and some looked genuinely happy.

Tina didn't feel like she had the right to smile. She'd seen the girl being taken away, the girl who had introduced herself as Rosie so long ago (or was it recently? Time wasn't making much sense), and that could have easily been her, or Rachel, or anyone else that had been in the boat.

All Tina wanted to do was see Artie. It was clichéd and predictable, but as she'd been waiting for help, she prayed that she could see Artie's face one last time. He wasn't the perfect boyfriend, and she wasn't sure if they could go the whole distance, but he was the closest thing to happiness she'd ever had, and she didn't want to waste that on a reckless choice of activity.

"Come on dear, you can get out now." Tina jumped as she felt someone touch her arm. The hesitant, smiling face of an old man looked down at her, his hand held out to help her onto the beach. She hadn't realised that most of the other passengers had left, and unnervingly, so many eyes were on her, waiting to see what the damage was.

"Okay, thank you," she managed to say. She took the man's hand gingerly, and even though her legs felt like jelly, she managed to step out of the swaying boat; she'd never realised how good it felt to be on solid ground. A female EMT, who had a friendly aura about her, hurried to Tina's side, and before she'd even introduced herself, she began to poke and prod her with all kinds of equipment, checking her eyes, her temperature, her heart and her spatial awareness.

"Did you black out for any period of time, no matter how short?" she asked in a rush.

"No, I remember everything," Tina replied, glancing around anxiously for Rachel and Finn; were they both okay?

"Did you swallow a large amount of water during the accident?"

"No, I feel fine. Please, I need to see my friends." The EMT frowned, but didn't object. She handed Tina a small, dry towel, and once she'd removed the life jacket, she wrapped the Asian up to keep her warm.

"If you feel tired, dizzy or weak, that's to be expected with this kid of incident," the woman said as kindly as possible, "but if you suddenly feel sick, or if you have trouble with your breathing, call an ambulance immediately. There's a very small risk that you might have contracted something from the lake water, but like I said, it's very small. Just be vigilant, and if you're worried, just visit the ER and they'll make sure you're okay."

Tina smiled as best as she could. "Thank you." The EMT smiled back, but was already busy with the next person before Tina could say anything else. She squinted at the crowd of people surrounding the scene, but with the flashes of cameras and the general noise and hysteria, she found it hard to concentrate on faces. Where was Rachel? Where was Finn?

"Tina!" Tina tried to find the source of the outcry, but was greeted instead with two arms thrown around her body in gratitude. "Oh thank goodness, I'm so glad you're alive."

It was Mercedes. Tina hugged her back, tightly and shakily, and with a quiet snuffle, she managed a laugh. "So am I to be honest." She closed her eyes with relief (and a slight bit of exhaustion), and therefore didn't see Mike Chang running frantically towards the pair. He joined in the embrace, and before Tina knew it, there were arms everywhere as each ecstatic member of the glee club showed their love for the Asian girl; even Santana found herself clinging to Tina, despite their nonexistent friendship.

Lastly, after Mr Schue and Miss Pillsbury (Emma had panicked about the dirty water in Tina's clothes, but had managed a quick hug), Artie was carried to Tina by Puck, who hadn't realised how awkward the situation was going to be (honestly, if the two of them started making out big time, he was just gonna drop the kid, regardless of how inappropriate that was).

"I'm so sorry Artie," Tina whispered as she held both of his hands in her own, "we should never have come so late, I'm sorry."

Artie, who looked like he'd been awake for days, shook his head with a smile. "You're apologising when you're alive, and in my opinion, that's the best possible outcome."

As everyone fussed around Tina, Santana stood slightly apart from the rest of the group. In her unnecessary grief, she'd made a spectacle of herself; she didn't even_ like_ Rachel Berry, not really.

No, that was a lie. A few months ago, Santana had hated the talented over-achiever, but things were different now. They weren't best friends or anything, but she was still the _star_, and while she kept her feelings to herself, Santana liked her a lot more than she dared reveal. Seeing her, or the girl that looked like her, had been a terrible shock, and there wasn't anything she could do but scream.

She clenched her fists as she thought about how _stupid_ Rachel and Tina had been. She was torn between crying with joy and howling with rage, but luckily, Brittany was there to hold her when she needed it the most.

"I was frightened too. If Rachel died, we'd actually have to do something at glee rehearsals," the blonde whispered as she wrapped her arms around her. Santana laughed and sobbed at the same time.

"I never thought of that," she admitted as she buried her face into Brittany's neck.

**Glee!**

Finn walked slowly towards the beach, hand in hand with Rachel, wading through the cold water that made him want to pee himself (yeah, it was quite distracting, but he _really_ needed to go). His eyes were on the lookout for Tina, but as they made it onto land (thank _God; _he'd had enough of water for a lifetime), the two of them were bombarded by a mass of strangers, all desperate to ask them questions.

"Excuse me, could you come with me for a second?" asked a short, bespectacled man who was holding a... microphone?

"Oh crap, oh crap," whispered Finn under his breath. Rachel looked confused for a second, but as a metaphorical light bulb appeared above her head, she went straight into her professional interview mode.

"Of course sir. May I ask what this is in reference to?" she said politely.

The man pushed his glasses onto his nose whilst he beckoned them with him. "I'm from WOHN, and I've been told that you two are the real heroes of this accident. If I could steal two minutes of your time..."

Finn stopped dead, unable to go any further. She looked up at him with concern, and gasped when his hand began to shake. "Finn, what's wrong?"

"I don't wanna talk to him Rach," he whimpered. "I don't wanna be on TV!"

"Finn, you've sung in front of so many people before, how is this any different?"

"That was singing!" he said in exasperation. He could already feel the sweat on his forehead; he couldn't do this _at all_. "I'm not good with words at the best of times, but on TV? What if I say something really offensive, or something really stupid?"

The reporter waved his concern off with a smile.

"Don't worry kid, we'll tell you what we're going to ask beforehand, so you can practice what you're going to answer, and then we'll film it. I'll give you two a minute. All I ask is that you don't talk to a rival news team; I got this one covered." The man disappeared into the crowd, and Finn and Rachel were surrounded by other strangers. One of them was the old guy that had helped Finn out in the first place, and even though there were dozens of other people desperate to talk to him, Finn approached the elderly man with a smile.

"Thank you," he said simply before taking the guy's hand. "I would have been lost without your help, so thanks." Rachel beamed beside her boyfriend, enjoying the look of appreciation on the man's face.

"No, thank you," he laughed, shaking Finn's hand as hard as he could. "My nephew was in that accident, and without your bravery, he could have drowned. What's your name, son?"

"F-Finn Hudson," he stuttered.

The old man nodded with a smile. "Well, God bless you Finn Hudson, you are a true hero. As are you little lady." He let go of Finn's hand and held it out to Rachel instead. "I saw your determination and courage, and especially under the circumstances, you are a true inspiration to us all."

Rachel's face lit up with embarrassment and surprise. "It was nothing, I just wanted to make sure everyone was safe."

"And that's what makes you so special Miss..."

"Rachel Berry," she grinned; Finn slung an arm around her shoulders and squeezed her tightly, and the man gave a knowing smile.

"It was a pleasure to meet you both, and thank you once again for what you did." The two of them waved as the old man disappeared, and as they came to terms with how surreal everything was, the news reporter returned.

"Are you ready?" he asked hopefully. Rachel looked up at Finn; if he didn't want to go through with it then neither would she.

"I'll do it," he said with a firm nod.

**Glee!**

Once Tina was feeling steady enough to walk, Will's next priority was to locate Finn and Rachel. He'd seen them in the crowd, and though he'd asked Puck to retrieve them, he'd returned to report that they were being interviewed by anybody and everybody.

"Interviewed? I guess they just want a firsthand account of the accident," he mused, though Tina was quick to interject.

"No Mr Schue, Finn and Rachel saved everyone!" There were a few surprised gasps and raised eyebrows, but Tina continued regardless. "Rachel was helping round up people in the water, and then Finn came in a boat, started pulling them to safety, and jumped in with Rachel to get the rest of the stragglers."

Emma placed her hand against her heart, Will's jaw dropped in admiration, Mercedes wiped a tear from her eye and Puck scowled to himself (Finn got all the breaks).

"Wow, I had no idea... Well, let's let them finish up there, and then we can go back to the house."

**Glee!**

Half an hour later (and after several members of the glee club had fallen asleep on the beach), Finn and Rachel were finally allowed to leave. Both of them had refused a trip to the hospital because apart from exhaustion, they were physically fine. They were both greeted by hugs and pats on the back, but after everything, all they wanted was to sleep in the comfort of their own beds; there was plenty of time to talk about the incident tomorrow.

The journey back to the beach house was quiet, and before they knew it, they'd returned to the place that had been filled with laughter and enjoyment just a few hours ago; it was strange to think that the pillow war had happened that day.

"Okay guys, get some sleep, and no sneaking out to go bungee jumping or something," said Will, which received a few groans and a couple of giggles. One by one, the tired, emotionally-drained teenagers slumped towards their bedrooms, leaving only Finn and Rachel in the presence of Will and Emma. "I'm glad you're both okay," Will said quietly. "We have a lot of things to talk about, but for now, just get some rest." Emma smiled warmly at them both, then her and Will headed to their shared bedroom, happy that the ordeal was over.

"I don't think I can sleep," mumbled Rachel. "I'm exhausted, but I'm... frightened." She sat herself on the sofa with a reluctant sob. "I can't get her face out of my thoughts Finn. I can't think of anything else." Finn lowered himself beside her, and as softly as he could, he took Rachel's face in his hands.

"I'll stay up all night with you if that's what you want. I meant it when I said I'm not leaving your side."

All it took was their eyes to connect, and Rachel knew what she wanted next (which was evidently what Finn wanted too). Their lips smashed together frantically, and with a murmur of enjoyment and impatience, Finn and Rachel were all over the place. She was desperate for him to cover her body in kisses, while he was desperate not to pee himself (seriously, he'd had literally no chance to go to the bathroom). Their embrace had never been so rushed and intense, apart from the time they'd both been rudely interrupted by Rachel's dads. On that day, Rachel was sure that if they'd managed to get far enough, she would have been ready to sleep with Finn.

She was more than ready now. Sex seemed like an inappropriate answer to the grief and guilt she was experiencing, but more than anything, she needed to feel passion and love again, as a reminder that one person would always care for her, regardless of the situation. She didn't think about the twelve other people under the same roof, and she didn't care that their first time would be on a small, uncomfortable couch rather than somewhere romantic and perfect, because whenever it happened, it would be perfect for Rachel, so long as it was Finn who was ready to hold her hand.

But she was thinking too much; she needed to let herself relax. In an attempt to be more like a hormonal teenage girl, Rachel unzipped Finn's pants whilst still kissing him as passionately as she could. To be completely honest, she hadn't the slightest idea what she was supposed to be doing, but one positive had come from Finn and Santana's 'relationship'; he knew what to do, right?

Well, yeah, he did, but Finn had a problem with multitasking at the best of times, and when his lips were almost swallowing Rachel's and when his shaking hands were getting ever closer to his butt, the _last_ thing he needed was for her to make a beeline for his crotch.

God, he couldn't believe his luck! Any other day, any other night, any other time, Finn would have done _anything_ to be in the position he was currently in. Not only was he drooling because of Rachel's mad making out skills, he was moments away from TOUCHING HER BUTT, and she was unzipping his pants, which could only mean one thing (well, several things, but they all equalled _awesome_ news for him).

But he still needed to pee. Finn had been alive for over sixteen years, and never, in the history of the world, had he needed to go to the bathroom so bad. It wasn't about holding it in, 'cause that's what he'd been doing all night, but now that Rachel was contemplating what to do next with her hand, Finn was sure that he was going to wet himself, which would be more than embarrassing, and it would kinda put a dampener of the mood (literally).

He didn't want to pull away, especially after Rachel whispered "I'm ready Finn," in a sizzling sexy voice that he'd never even _heard_ before. He thought about just going with the flow, but the word flow reminded him of a river, and a river was full of water that made bubbling and splashing noises and-

"I really gotta pee!" he almost yelled. He untangled himself from Rachel's grasp, dropped her unceremoniously back on the couch, then tripped over his pants, which had somehow fallen to his knees.

Yeah, smooth operator all right.

Rachel was left to wonder if she'd done something wrong as Finn rushed to the bathroom, because this hadn't been the first time that he'd freaked out. Maybe he wasn't actually ready for the next step? She'd never stopped to think if Finn wanted to do 'it' since she'd gotten so caught up on her own morals to notice.

She snuggled up against a cushion with a sigh and a frown. Maybe it wasn't that; maybe it was just her? Santana was every guy's dream; Rachel wasn't really anything to anyone (apart from Jacob, but even just thinking of his name made her shiver with repulsion).

"Rachel, are you okay?" Rachel jumped at Finn's presence. He didn't _look_ repulsed, but what did she know?

"Did I do something wrong Finn?" she asked with evident pain in her voice. Finn furrowed his brow as he perched on the edge of the sofa.

"Wrong? Why would you think that? I just had to pee."

Rachel rolled her eyes as she gritted her teeth. "You don't have to lie to me. I don't-"

Finn could already anticipate that she was gonna start crying, and after the night they'd had, he didn't need her to be upset about... well, whatever she was upset about.

"Whoa whoa whoa, wait a second!" he said as he grabbed her hands a little too tightly. "I just needed to pee, okay? I tried to hold it in and everything but I didn't want to, like, you know, wet myself." He blushed as he whispered the last few words, which did the trick; Rachel believed him, and managed to push all of her earlier insecurities away.

"Oh, well, that's good." She looked awkwardly at the ceiling as Finn looked straight at her boobs; she wasn't sure she was in the right frame of mind anymore. "Mind if we go to bed now?" She returned her gaze to Finn, who looked dejected. "But, if it's okay with you, can we both sleep in here? I feel like I'm going to be frightened of the dark."

Finn nodded with a genuine, understanding smile. "Of course Rach. Do you want me to, erm..."

Rachel grinned bashfully. "Sleep on the couch with me? I'd love that."

Though there was barely any room, Finn squeezed himself across the couch while Rachel retrieved a blanket from who-knows-where. She gingerly pressed her body against Finn's, and with her cold, shaking hands, she pulled the blanket across them both, feeling the heat of Finn's chest beginning to warm her.

"Night Rachel," he yawned, pressing his cheek against the top of her head.

Despite feeling much better with Finn by her side, Rachel couldn't stop a tear of guilt from falling down her face. "Good night Finn."

**A/N: **The cause of the accident, the aftermath, and all other related items will be featured in the next chapter :)

So, this calls for a **huge thank you to everyone that reviewed my last chapter! **I was so _overwhelmed_ by your response, and honestly, it made my day. I have so much fun writing for you, and it means the world that you're all enjoying it. So yes, thank you so much :)


	23. Chapter 23

Emma woke up earlier than usual, roused from her sleep by a recollection of a distant nightmare. It seemed childish to still suffer with bad dreams, but at least she was able to handle them well. She looked across her pillow at the sleeping form of Will Schuester, and felt a tiny grin pull instantly at her lips. He looked so peaceful in slumber, and now, remembering what had happened the night before, Emma felt her resentment for Will disappear, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

_Emma closed the bedroom door with a sigh of exasperation and general relief. Thank goodness the children were safe! She wouldn't have been able to forgive herself if any of them had been injured while she'd been fawning over Will all day..._

"_Thank you for being so supportive and amazing," said Will as he loosened his tie. "I would have been lost without your help." _

_Emma gave a small smile. "I didn't do anything, not really. You were the one that stepped up and acted like a hero. It was very admirable the way you handled everything." _

_Emma didn't usually do hugs. It wasn't about public displays of affection, because she happened to find spontaneous kisses and comforting hugs incredibly romantic, but it was just who she was. Though she'd been receiving therapy for her OCD tendencies, Emma couldn't help but associated physical contact with the spreading of germs, so she always refrained from joining in._

_But when Will took two steps towards her with a hungry glint in his eye, her body acted automatically, and she buried her face into the warm, clean chest of the man she had never fallen out of love with. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and as she felt Will exhale in appreciation, she found that she did the same. _

"_Apart from the accident and everything involved with that, I had a really good time today," she whispered, careful not to put too much enjoyment in her voice. She still had a few reservations about getting close to Will Schuester again, but after the night they'd had, she thought it was only right to seek comfort in each other._

"_Me too," he admitted after a minute of silence. "I'm glad that we don't have to be in a relationship to enjoy each other's company." Emma pulled away from Will's grasp to examine his expression. It sounded like he'd given up, and she wasn't going to stand for that. She raised a shaking finger to his face, ran it along an errant curl of hair, then pressed her lips softly against his._

Emma froze as Will began to move, though he simply stretched his arm towards her in his sleep, clutching at thin air. With a bashful smile, Emma placed her hand in his, experiencing butterflies like a teenager when his fingers closed around hers.

They hadn't had sex thank goodness. Their first attempts had been mortifying enough, without the added pressure of twelve kids listening in. Besides, Emma wasn't even sure what was happening. They'd started off with a peck, and that had turned into a smooch before transforming into a 'make out session', or at least that's what she thought it was called. Regardless of technicalities of time and appropriate amount of tongue, Emma knew that she was on the road to being happy again, even if it was just a vacation fling. She wasn't sure where Will stood on the matter, because as soon as they'd moved to the bed to get comfortable, he'd practically fallen asleep straight away.

As much as Emma enjoyed watching Will sleep, she needed to visit the bathroom, which also meant that she'd have to spend the next hour getting herself clean (she was getting there, but not fast enough). Without waking him, she slipped her hand out of his reach, and silently padded out of the room, her wash bag firmly in her grasp. She knew that Rachel was an early riser, but with the drama of the day before, she doubted that she'd be awake already. Confirming her suspicions, Emma made her way to the bathroom, only to scream like a banshee when she noticed the two figures snuggled up on the sofa.

Finn sat up in a daze and began screaming too, not sure what was happening. When he saw Miss Pillsbury staring at him with horror all over her face, he remembered what she was seeing, and he shut his mouth, not _exactly_ sure how they were going to get out of this one.

"Finn, what's happening?" muttered Rachel, who tried rubbing her eyes to rid herself of her exhaustion. "Is there a fire?"

"No fire," Miss Pillsbury said solemnly. "But I do need to ask you what is going on! You didn't sleep on there all night did you? Um, together?"

Rachel's cheeks burned with embarrassment while Finn just looked incredibly uncomfortable. "Rachel was frightened about having nightmares, so I promised I wouldn't leave her. We didn't _do_ anything though," Finn emphasised, though thinking about what they'd _almost_ done made his stomach growl in regret; it's a shame that his bladder didn't cooperate.

"Emma, what the hell is going on?" All three faces turned to Mr Schue, who looked alarmed and confused at the same time.

"I, uh, I thought I saw a mouse!" she squeaked. "Yes, I thought I saw a mouse run under the sofa, and it turns out that Finn is frightened of them too."

It took Finn a minute to realise that Miss Pillsbury wasn't ratting him out, so he tried to play along as best he could. "Yeah, totally, I hate the little furry things. It's the... teeth." He smiled awkwardly, as did Emma, which Will found extremely suspicious. "Hey, why don't I put on the news to calm us down?" Finn suggested; he really needed the spotlight off of his face, 'cause his neck ached and he was frickin' freezing.

"Sure..." said Will as he narrowed his eyes. He sat himself down on one of the chairs, watching Finn and Rachel intently while Emma hovered uselessly in the background. "Wait, did you two sleep here all night?"

"_...so congratulations to them. In other news, one girl died and others were seriously injured last night when a twilight boat ride led to tragedy at Lake Erie. Mark Rothberg was at the scene for us; what exactly happened Mark?"_

Finn gulped loudly, Rachel winced and forced his arms around her, Will looked down sadly at the reminder of the death, and Emma's lip wobbled with anticipation of what was to come.

"Emma, would you wake everyone up please? I think they'll need to see this, especially Tina." Emma didn't hesitate to obey, and though there were a few groans (and curses in Puck's case), every member of the glee club was present for the news report.

"_Last night, at approximately half past ten, a speedboat, which regularly takes visitors up and down the lake day and night, was involved in a mysterious collision that resulted in the destruction of the vehicle. There were thought to be fifteen passengers aboard, and one of these passengers was Rosie Hayes."_

The reporter, who was stood beside the lake, disappeared as his image was replaced with a photo of the mentioned girl, and despite not having a gag reflex, Rachel had to try incredibly hard to stop herself from throwing up at the sight of her. They couldn't have chosen a more beautiful photo of Rosie, which only increased the guilt that Rachel felt; if it hadn't been for Finn's hand squeezing hers in support, she was sure she would have burst into hysterical tears again.

"_Rosie Hayes was a twenty one year old dance instructor from New York. When the boat collided with the unknown object, Miss Hayes was thrown forwards, and hit her head against the protective railings. Though she was wearing a life jacket, it wasn't secured properly, and she drowned shortly after, unconscious from the trauma." _

Rachel wasn't the only one on the verge of tears; Tina couldn't stop shaking, and Emma couldn't blink, unable to look away from what could have been one of the glee girls.

"_Her family have been notified, and her twenty two year old companion is currently in hospital with a suspected case of pneumonia." _

"Please can we turn this off?" asked Rachel bitterly. She didn't blame Finn for turning the TV on, since that had simply been a distraction, but Mr Schue was forcing them to watch the terrible situation, and she couldn't stomach it for much longer.

"_However, where there's tragedy, there is also hope. A young couple, a passenger and a volunteer, are responsible for saving the lives of the rest of the victims." _

Everyone looked at Rachel and Finn, who had completely forgotten about the interviews they'd given.

"_Here with me now is Alexander Warren, spectator and rescuer himself. Mr Warren, can you tell us more about these heroic people?"_

Finn blanched; Alexander Warren was the nice old guy that had helped him out in the first place, which meant he couldn't turn the TV off yet.

"_Of course Mark. I brought my nephew and granddaughter to the lake last night to experience the boat ride, though since my granddaughter decided not to travel, we waited on the beach while my nephew went alone. We heard a loud bang, and before we knew it, the boat had overturned and people were screaming for help. The next thing I saw was a young man running towards the water, shouting for assistance. I helped him untie an old boat and we paddled towards the accident."_

Finn took back his earlier words; his embarrassment had warmed him right up.

"_So the two of you singlehandedly saved the passengers?"_ asked Mark.

Alexander laughed heartily. _"Oh no, the credit goes to them! I simply kept the boat afloat. Yes, he and his little lady were the ones who saved the day. After he'd done as much as he could in the rescue boat, he jumped into the water to help his girl. It was very valiant of them both."_

Mark and Alexander disappeared as a very, _very_ cringe worthy photo appeared on the screen that made Finn shrivel up with embarrassment; he'd be having a serious talk with his mom when he saw her.

"_Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry, pictured here, are only sixteen years of age, yet through courageous teamwork, they saved so many lives with their bravery."_

Rachel was having trouble processing what was going on. She knew that being a television star was inevitable, but she'd never expected to be famous so young in life.

The photo that was killing Finn was of the two of them after Regionals; she remembered it so clearly. Though they hadn't been officially dating at that point, Finn had insisted that she was introduced to his mom. Carole had asked for a photo, and had somehow caught a picture of Finn staring at Rachel with longing when she wasn't looking. Sure, it wasn't the most flattering of photos, but it was adorable all the same.

"_I caught up with the pair last night, who understandably, were a little nervous about the attention."_

The photo was replaced with the interview footage, and neither Finn nor Rachel had realised how _terrible _they looked. They were wet, obviously, but Finn looked mentally exhausted, and Rachel just looked depressed.

"_So, Finn, can you tell me what made you risk your own life to save everyone else's?"_

Finn squirmed on the TV like he was squirming now, 'cause this was really humiliating.

"_Well, I came looking for my girlfriend; that's Rachel by the way." _Finn muttered some kind of curse into his hands because he'd _known_ that he'd look like a moron, and he _felt_ like a moron, and seriously, if the ground didn't swallow him up soon, he was just going to make a run for it.

"_And when you saw that the boat had overturned?"_

"_I didn't think about anything other than saving Rachel, saving my friend Tina, and helping all the other people and stuff. I didn't really think about my own safety." _

Rachel kissed Finn's hand with a smile; she was so, _so_ proud of him.

"_How about you Rachel? What were your initial thoughts when the boat capsized?"_

The Rachel in the interview took the reporter's microphone and turned her attention directly to the camera, which made Finn chuckle, despite the situation.

"_My first reaction was that my high school would have to erect a statue in my honour _(the Finn stood beside her laughed at her answer, though only because she'd used the word erect) _, but when I realised what was really going on, I was determined to survive, even if I had to fight to preserve my life. I'm a very strong swimmer, so I rounded up as many passengers as I could, thinking about my handsome, kind and wonderfully talented boyfriend throughout the whole ordeal."_

The clip of their interview was replaced by the live footage of the reporter, who nodded with a smile. _"Very different characters, but it just goes to show that opposites attract and that courage can come from the strangest of places. Back to you John."_

Their full interview had been shortened excessively, and while Rachel was mourning the fact that they hadn't played her impromptu rendition of Sailing, Finn was just glad that they'd cut out the really dumb bits of his appearance.

Will pressed his finger against the remote to turn off the screen. No one said anything, as if expecting some kind of speech from the heroes of the hour.

"Mr Schuester, can I call my parents? I'm sure they're very-"

Simultaneously, in every room possible, cell phones began to sing and buzz and screech and cry with the incoming calls of their relatives. Everybody rushed forward to locate their phones, and once Brittany had been given the right one (she'd called Burt Hummel her pappy), the living room was alive with the reassurance of the glee club. Will listened in trepidation to the various conversations, because if parents wanted their kids to come home, there wasn't much he could do about that.

"Chill mom, I wasn't even on the boat. Seriously, I was sleepin'. No mom, I wasn't having sex with Quinn, I swear!"

"Yeah, Rachel's the one I've told you about before dad, the one that steals my limelight with her songs. Well, it looks like I'm not going to hear the end of this one..."

"Don't worry, I wasn't reckless enough to risk it, but Tina was one of the passengers... Yes, she's doing okay thanks to Finn and Rachel..."

"Mom, what the hell did you give them that photo for?" snapped Finn, which diverted Will's attention. "Who cares if I'm okay? Look, there's plenty of decent pictures in that old photo album you gave me... Yeah, I have loads of photos of Rachel, so what? No, I'm fine, I swear, I'm just a bit achy. I love you too mom, but you don't need to feel proud of me; you would have done the same, right? Okay, I'll see you soon. Love you." Finn forced his cell shut before she could say another word.

Honestly, what was the big deal? So he'd saved a few people... anyone else in that situation would have acted like that, and since he was already sick of the whole thing, he didn't need people telling him how wonderful he was. He waited patiently for Rachel, who had barely said a word to her dad (or daddy, Finn wasn't sure who she was talking to). He moved a little closer so that he could take her spare hand, 'cause she looked like she needed the contact.

"But daddy I- Yes, of course I understand. I know, it was incredibly- I do appreciate that but- Daddy, please, just- Okay. Bye." Rachel hung up, no embarrassed smile etched on her features.

"Rach, what was-"

"It was my daddy," she said quietly, staring at the floor. "He wants me to go home tonight."

"No fucking way!" Finn yelled, which he received with a few dirty glances and curious half smiles. "Sorry, I mean, does he not understand that you _saved_ all those people Rach?"

Rachel shook her head. "He understands that I was stupid and completely irresponsible and apparently, judging by the way we were in the interview, he thinks we're sleeping together." Finn shook his head at what he was hearing; they were barely on the TV for five minutes! "He wants me to pack my things so I can leave tonight." She managed to look at him, her face void of any real emotion. "This is exactly what I don't need right now. No one can understand the guilt and self hatred I'm feeling over Rosie's death, and now my daddy thinks I'm some kind of slut. I'm sorry; I need to be on my own for a while."

Once Rachel had disappeared into her bedroom alone, it didn't take long for people to understand what was going on; after Mr Schue received a hostile phone call from Rachel's dad, it was clear that she would be leaving early.

"This is total crap Mr Schue! Can't you stop them somehow?"

Mr Schue shook his head regretfully. "They're her parents Finn, it's up to them whether Rachel stays or goes."

Finn rose from his seat, itching to follow Rachel. However, a hand on his shoulder made him hesitate.

"Let me go and talk to her," suggested Miss Pillsbury with a smile. "I am a guidance counsellor after all, and I might be able to cheer her up."

Finn nodded numbly. "Okay Miss P, thanks. Just... just let her know that I'm here for her, please?"

"Of course," she replied, patting his shoulder once more before joining Rachel.

"Finn, I said that-" Rachel looked up from her lap and frowned. "Oh sorry Miss Pillsbury, I thought that... never mind. Can I help you with something?"

The red headed counsellor perched awkwardly on one of the beds, trying desperately to ignore the used socks that were strewn across the floor. "How are you feeling?"

Rachel snorted indignantly. "Where do I even start?" she muttered angrily.

"Wherever you want to Rachel. We can talk all day if we have to."

The brunette's eyes widened a little at the suggestion, but it was definitely true that she had some issues.

"I'm not mad that they're disappointed in me," she said, barely above a whisper. "I'm mad that they're accusing me of sleeping around, and it's as if they don't trust me to take care of myself. I said no to Jesse once, and if I need to, I can say no to Finn."

**Glee!**

While the rest of the glee kids helped themselves to breakfast, Finn sat on his own beside the front door, staring down at the journal he'd been given yesterday. He rolled his eyes at his own naive entry, and instead simply looked at Rachel's perfect handwriting: '_P.S I love you. Don't ever forget that, okay?'_

Why didn't parents trust him with girls? Mr and Mrs Fabray hadn't given him the chance to explain himself, and even though he _thought_ that he'd hit it off with the Berrys, it seemed that they were happy to accuse him of things he hadn't done.

Not through lack of trying though.

Damn it! No wonder they didn't trust him! All he thought about was sexing Rachel up, even if he never admitted it, and since she was the one that always hinted at taking things further, it wasn't far from her mind either.

But the crucial difference was that they hadn't, and they weren't going to until things were perfect, awkward fumbles aside.

Finn pulled a pen from his pocket (he kept it on him for emergencies, like if he saw Jon Bon Jovi walking down the street), and without focusing on the words, he just let himself write about everything that was bothering him, even if only slightly.

It was quite crazy to see how much of his thoughts were all about Rachel. It reminded him of a Howie Day song that he particularly liked... what were the words again? Oh yeah, he remembered; he scribbled them down onto the page for pointless future reference.

_I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind._

Though he wasn't scared, not really. Would Rachel be scared if she knew that 90% of his thoughts were about her? He hoped not; he wrote that down.

His page full of shit made relatively no sense because he was so pissed off by Mr Berry's reaction. Rachel was this great hero, and he was getting hung up on their relationship.

He'd have to fix this somehow, when they got home; that was Finn's master plan, despite having no real plan at all.

**Glee!**

Puck stared off into space with a less than amused frown on his face, which Quinn couldn't help but smirk at.

"What's up with you?" she asked sceptically.

"All this drama. Normally I'm a sucker for some angst, but only when I'm the main character." He gave Quinn a half-hearted smile. "I mean, no one pays attention to the Puckamaniac anymore!"

Quinn kissed him chastely on the cheek. "You're an idiot. Finn and Rachel are going through some serious problems, and though I don't particularly care for their over the top relationship, I'm glad I'm not in their shoes." She cocked her head to the right. "Aren't you Puck?"

Puck shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I just wish we were the ones being warned for having sex."

Quinn's smile turned instantly sour; she couldn't believe they were getting into this again. "We've already had this discussion-"

"No we haven't actually!" he snapped, banging his fist on the table. "You talked AT me, not WITH me, and if I remember rightly, the ruling was 'no sex until we're married'." Puck stood up in anger, very tempted to kick the chair, though he feared that would be a little too Finn-like. "There's a reason I've been looking for a Jewish girl, 'cause they don't expect me to reign myself in! Whatever, I'm going for a nap." Puck stormed off towards the boys' bedroom in a manner that Rachel would have been proud of, leaving Quinn to sit alone, looking completely humiliated.

Puck was unbelievable. Actually, no, he was believable alright, which left Quinn wondering if they were too different to be a couple. Her first stray from the religious path had left her with an unwanted baby, and she wasn't risking that again so Puck could stop 'reigning himself in'. When she'd told him that she didn't want sex until marriage, she actually hadn't been referring to him; she liked Puck, but he would never be marriage material.

"Jerk," she muttered under her breath before finishing the rest of her toast.

"Ooh, looks like there's trouble in paradise," laughed Santana, who had been watching Puck and Quinn intently. Brittany didn't seem interested, but that was because she was singing along to Girls Just Want To Have Fun in her head. "Maybe I should make a move while Puck's sexually frustrated; I haven't had some in over a week."

Brittany sighed to herself. "I thought you were going to be different? When you wrote those letters, you said that you were going to stop sleeping around, and commit to one person." The blonde's lip wobbled. "What happened to that?"

Santana snorted with a roll of her eyes. "Oh please, how long did you think that could last? I've seen the error of my ways as far as my parents are concerned, but I'm still going to enjoy myself whether you like it or not." She pulled out a small mirror from her pocket, checked that her hair was immaculate (as always), then winked once at Brittany. "See you on the other side Britt." Santana sashayed towards the boys' bedroom, leaving Brittany looking a little more than disappointed, though she wasn't exactly sure why.

**Glee!**

Will had been extremely quiet since the fiasco with Rachel's parents, though not because he was disheartened; in fact, he'd been thinking about something else for a while now.

"Tina, can I talk to you for a second?"

Tina looked up at Mr Schue, who had a strange expression on his face. She smiled awkwardly at him, then at Artie, but nodded anyway. "Of course Mr Schue, can Artie stay?"

"Sure, it's nothing confidential." Will sat himself beside Tina and took a deep breath. "How are you feeling today?"

Tina's eyes diverted from Mr Schue's instantly; she'd be expecting some kind of repercussions for their disappearance. "Physically I feel fine, but Mr Schue, I'm really sorry for what I did." She somehow found the courage to face him, though where she'd been expecting anger, she only saw understanding. "When Rachel suggested it, I should have said no, but I was too excited, and I'm sorry that we freaked everyone out."

Will patted Tina's hand. "It's okay. I'm just glad that you're uninjured, and though it was wrong for you both to disappear like that, at least you're still alive." Tina nodded, though she resented Mr Schue's careless use of words. "Actually, what I wanted to talk to you about was something else. Since Rachel has to leave tonight, I thought that we could all go to a carnival for the day." Tina looked at Artie with a confused, hesitant face (that Will chose to ignore). "So, do you think you're feeling well enough to come? I wouldn't have asked because I'm sure you're exhausted, but this will be the last day for us all to do something together."

Thank goodness Tina felt okay, because Mr Schue had put her in a really difficult position. If she'd told him that she wasn't well enough to go, then she would have let the whole group down; nice work Mr Schue.

"That's a great idea," she said with an overenthusiastic smile. "I'm sure everyone will be happy to go."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Kurt's outburst turned the heads of Mr Schue, Tina and Artie, who witnessed something very strange; Kurt and Mercedes were arguing. "Mercedes, I let you borrow my scarf because it complimented your outfit last week, but I did _not_ give you permission to pass it onto your mom!"

"Well sorry Kurt, I didn't realise it was such a problem-"

"THERE'S your problem!" Kurt shrieked, throwing his hands up with an unneeded air of drama. "You just _assume_ that I'll do this, and you _assume_ that I'll do that. How would you feel if I let my dad wear your favourite hat?"

Mercedes let out a throaty laugh. "As long as I got it back, I'd be fine with it; they're just clothes."

Artie covered his eyes in anticipation, because even he wasn't dumb enough to call Kurt's wardrobe 'just clothes'.

"I can't even look at you right now," Kurt sneered. With a sniff of drama, he turned his back on Mercedes and ignored her attempts at reconciliation.

"Fine Kurt, have your little diva tantrum cause I ain't grovelling over a scarf."

"What's going on this morning?" asked Mike with a whisper. Matt, who had been engrossed in his thoughts, gave an uncaring shrug.

"I dunno. Puck thinks he's got it bad because Quinn is a Christian, and Kurt thinks he's got it bad because Mercedes' mom borrowed his scarf? Honestly, they need to know what it feels like to have a real problem."

Mike furrowed his brow. "Why, do _you_ have a real problem?"

Matt faked a laugh as he punched Mike's arm. "No way man!"

The obnoxious chuckle may have fooled other people, but Mike knew his best friend too well to believe it. "Matt?"

"There isn't anything, alright? I was just speaking hypothetically." Matt's tone was less of amusement and more of resentment, which was very out of character.

Mike didn't believe him, and the more he thought about it, the more he worried for his friend. Matt never kept secrets from him, and since he was getting defensive over 'nothing', he knew he had to probe him for details.

"Are you gay?" Mike asked matter-of-factly, to which Matt almost choked on his toast.

"Dude, you've got the wrong end of the stick-"

"Are you dying?"

"Mike!"

"Are your parents splitting-"

"I'm moving, alright?" Matt had shouted louder than intended, though the rest of the group were all too engrossed in their own problems to care. Mike's eyes widened before he laughed a little hysterically.

"You had me for a minute," he chuckled, to which Matt shook his head sadly, no smile on his face.

"I wish I was joking, but my dad's just been promoted, which means we have to move to the next state. I didn't want to tell you because... well, I'm really cut up about it."

Mike's life had been pretty sweet up until that point. He knew a lot of kids who had problems at home and school, and though his dad was a little intolerant of his interest in glee, Mike had reasoned that he was really lucky to be who he was. He hadn't experienced a death in the family, his parents were together and still happy about it, they had enough money to keep them comfortable, and despite receiving a slushie or two at school, Mike's overall high school experience was proving to be a blast.

But luck doesn't always last, does it? You can have so many perfect things in life, but one tiny event can change everything.

For Mike, this was hearing that news that his best friend, the guy who he'd known since he was five, was moving away. You see, it _felt_ like someone had died, because they say there are stages that you go through after a loss, right? Mike was sure they applied to him, because the first stage was denial, and he refused to believe that this could be happening.

"I don't believe you," he said firmly. "Your dad knows how close we are, and he knows about football and glee, and he-"

"I'm not going back to McKinley man, I'm sorry."

"Yes you are."

Matt sighed as he rubbed his temple with his shaking fingers. He hadn't planned on telling Mike like this, especially while they were supposed to be on vacation. However, he hadn't imagined his friend to be so unbelieving about it all; he'd (begrudgingly) learnt to deal with it, and Mike had to do the same.

"Mike, let's just-"

"I'm not talking to you. We're supposed to be friends, and I don't appreciate you lying to me." Mike refused to register the hurt expression on Matt's face, because there was no _way_ he was leaving; no way.

Quinn had been watching Mike and Matt's little argument unfold, and though she wasn't sure what they were fighting about, she could tell that Matt needed some kind of comfort. She planned to go over and talk to him, but out of the corner of her eye, she witnessed Santana leaving the boys' bedroom, followed closely by Puck. She pretended not to be interested, but with a strained ear, Quinn listened to what they were about to say, even though she had no reason not to trust Puck.

"Just keep me in mind, okay? I know you're 'with Quinn' now, but you can't deny that we have chemistry, and besides, I'm not looking for a relationship; I just want sex, alright?"

Quinn felt her blood boil; Santana was a complete _bitch. _She waited for the satisfactory moment when Puck turned her down, when she got to witness Santana's embarrassment, but as she turned her head slightly to watch them, the anger in her cheeks disappeared, leaving her skin extremely pale. Puck had his hand on Santana's waist, and instead of a look of disgust, he wore an intrigued smirk.

"I'll think about it."

Quinn snapped. Disregarding Mr Schue's presence and her pledge to be a better person, she practically flew at Puck, and slapped him hard across his face.

"We're through Puckerman," she hissed. Will, who had been engrossed in the various arguments in the room, wasted no time in breaking the two of them up, though it was only Quinn who was lashing out; Puck seemed almost happy to take her anger.

"Everyone, just calm down!" he barked, forcing Quinn away while Santana looked on in amusement. "I want everyone dressed and ready in half an hour, because we're going to the carnival whether you like it or not. Santana, I want you to go first because there will be no more fighting, you hear that Quinn?"

The blonde sneered at Santana, who looked like she'd just won first prize in a competition no one else dared enter. "Sorry Mr Schue." Quinn joined Artie and Tina, who were ready to help her if necessary. Puck, whose cheek was red with the impact of the slap, remained where he stood, staring at Quinn with confusion and regret, though he didn't say a word.

Finn, who was still writing in his journal, jotted down a summary of the strange morning they were having:

_Everyone's gone crazy, so Mr Schue thinks it's a good idea to go to a carnival. I have a bad feeling about this._

**A/N:** Thanks as always for the wonderful feedback, and keep on smiling!


	24. Chapter 24

**Strong language and a day late. Feel free to e-slap me, and I hope you enjoy this ridiculously huge update!**

Will Schuester knew the definition of difficult from firsthand experience. When he'd coined the carnival suggestion, he'd thought that everyone would be ecstatic, but since it took nearly an hour just to get them on the bus, he had last minute reservations. Sure, people had conflicts in life, but after the events at the lake, the club were supposed to be united, not fighting.

Will took in the seating arrangement with a frown. Mercedes and Kurt were sitting as far away from each other as possible, Puck was sitting awkwardly beside Santana, Quinn had resorted to the company of Tina and Artie, Brittany was perched in between a sullen Mike and Matt, and Rachel and Finn were a little isolated from the rest, looking equally unhappy. None of them seemed to be particularly thrilled about the carnival idea, apart from Emma, who smiled warmly at Will as he caught her eye and grinned.

"Okay guys, the carnival is a half hour drive from here, so sit tight and we'll be having fun soon enough!"

There seemed to be a wave of silent nausea at the word 'fun'; none of them really felt like going to a carnival. Despite this, the bus set off at a sluggish pace, and the conversation began to pick up, though a lot of it was strained.

Finn felt like he was walking on egg shells (though not literally, 'cause the idea of getting bits of shell in his feet made him wince like hell), because Rachel had barely said a thing after she'd talked to Miss Pillsbury, and seriously, this was _Rachel; _she never stopped talking.

"So, what did you and Miss Pillsbury talk about?" he finally managed to ask. It was also really weird 'cause she wasn't holding his hand, and whenever they sat together, their hands seemed to find each other subconsciously or something.

"Not much," she said with a small shrug, which drove Finn insane. That's all she was gonna say? Well, she was probably upset about a crap load of things, so Finn decided to let it slide. When Rachel pulled her iPod from her pocket and quickly slipped in her headphones, he knew that she wanted some privacy, and even if it was still really weird, he'd give it to her. With a silent sigh, Finn pressed his head against the seat in front of him and closed his eyes. He still needed a way to impress the Berrys, and he still had no idea how he was gonna do that.

Elsewhere, Puck was a lot quieter than usual. He was used to chicks bitching at him 'cause when you were this hot, girls developed some kind of crazed mentality, but he wasn't used to regretting his actions. He was badass, plain and simple, so why should he care what other people thought of him?

He didn't. But he did care what Quinn thought of him, and even though his sex drive was telling him to forget about her and move on to Santana, his heart (fucking females messing up his way of life) was telling him to apologise.

But apologising wasn't something he was familiar with. He'd tried (and failed) to apologise to Finn for the baby crap, and that hadn't exactly proved successful. He'd apologised to his mom a bunch of times for staying out late and coming home with alcohol on his breath, but she didn't forgive him at all.

This was something else though. If he wanted to be even slightly content in life, he had to get used to making sacrifices for the female kind, even if it meant sexual abstinence for a couple of years (man, even _thinking _it did uncomfortable things to his crotch).

What he was doing now wasn't exactly helping his cause. As he'd made his way onto the bus, he'd been given the make or break choice; a seat next to Quinn, or a seat next to Santana? He'd known that if he'd chosen Quinn, she would have ignored him for the journey, though she'd begin to warm up to him again. He'd known that if he'd chosen Santana, he was basically signing his own death warrant by publicly choosing her over Quinn.

He'd chosen Santana, and he wasn't even sure why. She'd fluttered her eyelashes and winked and all that shit, but after five minutes of small talk, she blanked him, not even bothering to mask her indifference. It had always been about sex with Santana, and Puck hadn't expected that to change, but he'd hoped for some kind of difference in her general personality. The almost soppy letter that'd she given him had said that she was sorry for treating him like a sexual doormat, and that she wasn't going to hound him about it anymore; so much for that pledge.

Puck looked guiltily in Quinn's direction, but she was too busy laughing at Artie to notice his stare (either that or she was choosing to ignore it). There was nothing else for it; he'd have to propose at the carnival after winning a huge bear and ringing the bell at test your strength. He hoped that giving her a gift would soften her up, and that proving how masculine he was would impress her. The proposal? Well, that would show that he was dedicated, right? Of course it was desperate and downright ridiculous, but Puck had never felt so bad before, which meant he really was turning into a girl.

Quinn hadn't seen him, because after Artie told her some hilarious story about flying down a hill, Tina had decided that she wanted to open up about the accident, and by the appreciative smile on Artie's face, it was clear that she'd chosen not to discuss it before.

"Looking back at the short time we were actually enjoying the ride, I don't know what the attraction was," she began, fiddling with a few strands of hair so that her hands didn't shake. "When we went to the beach and I saw the boats, I thought they looked fun, and then Rachel was telling me that she wanted to go on, and I kind of got swept up in the excitement." She paused, but not for dramatic effect; she was having trouble staying calm.

"Tina, you don't have to talk about this if you don't want to," whispered Artie; Quinn almost missed his breathy words.

Tina nodded, then smiled warmly at Artie like the whole thing had never happened. "It's okay, I need to get this off my chest." She held out her hand, which Artie took automatically, and surprisingly, she held the other one out to Quinn, who hesitated before timidly placing her own inside the soft grasp. She wasn't used to holding hands with people, and she couldn't help but associate it with the incident in Miss Pillsbury's office, when Rachel had taken her hand to comfort her about Pu-

She refused to think of him right now. Tina was being incredibly brave, and she didn't need her thoughts to be on that low life, cheating-

"When Rachel suggested the twilight ride, I should have said no immediately. It looks terrible on paper; come ride our really fast boats when it's extremely dark and there's a bigger chance of hitting a foreign object!" Quinn stifled a giggle, because she wasn't sure if it was the right thing to laugh about. "But again, I got caught up in it all. All I could hear was new and adventure, and when we had to sneak out, it felt like we were rebelling." Tina looked down at the hands in her lap with a slight blush. "I haven't really rebelled before, so it felt kind of cool."

Quinn shook her head. "It's nothing to be ashamed about." She was going to start talking about how sleeping with Puck had felt terrible and amazing at the same time (because that had been all about self confidence and rebellion), but she didn't want to steal Tina's thunder. Besides, it was worth staying quiet just to see the shy, hesitant smile that Tina wore so gracefully; Quinn had never really noticed before, but she was beautiful.

"Thanks Quinn. Erm, let's see... Well, when we were waiting in the large line, we started talking to two girls." Tina froze as soon as the words had left her mouth; she wasn't sure she could do this after all.

Artie seemed to sense her anxiety, because he squeezed her hand once and said, "They were the girls mentioned in the news report, right T?"

"Yes," she confessed in barely more than a whisper. "Candice and R-Rosie..." She kept her head held high, because there wasn't any point in shying away from the truth. If she'd been rude to the girls, or if she'd shunned their attempts at conversation, then it would have been more difficult to stomach.

But she hadn't. Tina had made the extra effort to talk to them, and for that, at least, she ought to have been grateful.

"They were nice. Rachel didn't like them, but we talked for a while as we waited. Then when we had our turn, we were handed life jackets." Tina glanced up at the ceiling of the bus to try and get the image of Rosie out of her head. "Rosie didn't like the colour, and she didn't fasten it properly. Rachel tried to help, and then we crashed." She let out a sigh of relief, though she hadn't even gone into detail. "That's all I can cope with right now. Would you mind changing the subject?"

"Of course; well done for being so brave," smiled Quinn as she wrapped her in a hug (or as much of a hug as she could manage in a seatbelt).

Mike had been watching Tina with longing from his seat, though he had no idea what the three of them were talking about, since he had a constant humming in his ears that distracted him.

The constant humming was Brittany, who hadn't stopped talking since they'd set off for the carnival. It had been strange in the first place that she'd decided to sit with Matt and Mike, and even stranger that she was the one who insisted on upholding the conversation. At first, Mike had been happy for her company. He refused to talk to Matt, and without Brittany distracting them, it could have been a really awkward journey.

But she continued to talk.

And talk.

And talk. Both of them were too polite to ask her to be quiet, and with a frown, Mike came to the conclusion that Matt was enjoying Brittany's company; he probably wanted to sleep with her or something.

"So that's why pigeons are my twenty eighth favourite animal. My twenty ninth favourite animal is the sheep, but only baby ones, because the big ones have really scary eyes. Me and San went to this weird farm once, and both the sheep and the farmers were eying me up! My thirtieth favourite animal is-"

Matt had stopped listening at number seven on Brittany's top one hundred list. He liked her and everything, but he was too preoccupied with Mike to listen. When he moved away, it would be the end of an era, and since he wasn't the most confident of people, it would be way too hard to make new friends. And what about glee club? Yeah, he didn't sing very much, but it was all about the atmosphere and the team spirit that made it awesome.

There wasn't much of either on the bus though. Everywhere he looked, Matt saw discontented faces, and this certainly wasn't what he wanted to remember about New Directions. With this thought in mind, he slumped even further into his seat, listening half-heartedly to Brittany's love of warthogs.

Mercedes was sitting on her own, which she certainly didn't enjoy. She was a loud, confident character, and she enjoyed the company of others to make her happy.

It hadn't been her choice to sit by herself. She'd assumed that Kurt's little tantrum would blow over as soon as it had started, but clearly, the boy was milking the drama for all it was worth. Mercedes would have found it funny if she hadn't felt so humiliated. Still, she didn't like it at all. Of course friends fell out, but not talking to Kurt was hurting her more than she let on, especially since the cause of their argument was over a stupid little scarf.

Kurt wasn't feeling as bad as his (ex)friend. He was fed up with people walking all over him, and yes, though he may have slightly overreacted at the time, he defended his actions by thinking of all the things Mercedes had done to annoy him in the past.

Like the time she'd worn zebra stripes against his advice. And the time when, well, there was the one time when... Kurt scrunched his nose in silent thought. Oh, of course, there was the busted window incident! He hadn't even shunned her for that, so it was about time that she realised how much that had hurt him (even though he'd gotten over the whole thing almost instantly).

He risked a side glance towards her, and felt a stab of guilt in his chest; she looked so out of place and dejected. He thought about apologising, but he was still waiting for her apology; she'd been just as rude as he had.

Emma wore a bashful little smile throughout the entire journey. Since Will was driving, she'd decided not to distract him, though every now and again he'd look at her in the rear-view mirror and she'd feel a hesitant blush creep onto her cheeks. Even if the kids weren't looking forward to the rest of the day, Emma knew that she was going to remember it for a long time (though for good or bad reasons she wasn't sure).

**Glee!**

"Okay, here we are!" Mr Schue's excited declaration seemed to slowly rouse the bus load of children from their sleep, though some looked like they wanted to hide under their non-existent pillows. "The carnival lasts all day, but since Rachel's parents are picking her up at six o'clock tonight, I want everyone to be back at the bus by five. Did you hear what I said Puck?"

Puck nodded like a good little boy. "Five o'clock at the bus Mr Schue."

"Good. Okay then, I won't keep you any longer, just make sure that none of you go _anywhere_ on your own, alright? I'm trusting you guys to keep yourselves safe today." Both Rachel and Tina looked at their feet simultaneously. "Be free, members of glee club! Go and have some last minute fun before we have to go back home!"

Slowly, without much enthusiasm, the kids marched off of the bus, forcing smiles at Mr Schue as they passed. One by one, the group fell into pairs and threes, and dispersed into the crowds of the carnival.

Finn instantly took Rachel's hand because there were _so_ many people, and he really didn't want to lose her again. "So, is there anything you want to do in particular while we're here?" he asked. He didn't get a reply, but that didn't stop him. "We could go and get some really greasy corn dogs? Though it's probably a bit early to be eating them now."

Rachel glanced at her watch. "Finn, it's not even ten o'clock in the morning yet."

"Does that mean we can get some?"

She huffed to herself, though couldn't stop a smile from spreading across her face. "We will a bit later. Let's see if we can win on one of the games, even though they're rigged so that we lose all of our money and they profit from our naivety."

Quinn followed closely behind Finn and Rachel, though only because she wasn't sure if she was intruding on Tina and Artie. She didn't want them to think that she was using them while she'd fallen out with Puck, and though Mr Schue had told them to stay in pairs, Quinn decided that she wanted to see the carnival on her own.

"Hey Quinn, wait up." Or at least, that had been the plan. The voice was undoubtedly Noah Puckerman's, which meant that she was certainly not going to bless him with any of her attention. "Hey, did you hear me?" Quinn felt an unwanted presence on her elbow, and without thinking, she slammed it into Puck's stomach. "Fuck, that-"

She turned, half-surprised, half-victorious, to gaze down at Puck, who had fallen to the floor, the wind knocked out of his chest.

"Oh, Noah, sorry about that, I thought you were a desperate jerk who was trying to steal my purse. My mistake." She turned away from him, but then looked back with a smile on her face. "Actually, were you after my money?"

"You... can be... a real..." Puck pulled himself up, ignoring the bemused faces of the people that passed them by. He brushed the dirt from his clothes, and with a snarl, he managed to finish his sentence once he could breathe again. "Bitch."

This elicited a tiny laugh from Quinn. "Yes, I _am _sorry that I'm not a slut like Santana. I'll be seeing you." She again turned to walk away, but though she planned to lose him in the crowds, Puck wasn't giving up so easily.

"I'm gonna prove that I'm your best bet," he yelled as he jogged behind her. "You _know_ I'm your best bet Quinn."

Quinn rolled her eyes, despite wanting to smile at his words. Did she know that?

**Glee!**

After two hours of wandering aimlessly around the carnival, Puck hadn't given Quinn time to talk. Though nearly half of his grand speech included derogatory terms and vulgar curse words, he obviously meant well, yet constantly at the back of Quinn's mind was the scene that had played out between him and Santana. Was he only moping now because he was feeling sorry for himself? Would he go back to his old habits as soon as she'd forgiven him?

"Just stop Puck, I'm tired of your excuses." Quinn stopped in her tracks so that she could look at Puck properly. His expression of hope had become one of defeat, but Quinn didn't allow her slightly caring side to make her feel guilty; this had to be done. "The fact is, we may be good together, but I'm not going to be able to give you what you really want, at least not for a few years." She watched the happy, carefree people walking past them, and felt a hint of resentment; she loved carnivals, but Puck was taking away her enjoyment. "You may stick to your word for a few weeks, maybe even a month, but as soon as Santana looks at you in _that_ way..." Quinn closed her eyes to let her anger subside. "You'll just run right back to her, and we'll be in the same predicament."

"No I won't," he finally said. His face was void of all humour and amusement; all that remained was determination. "Quinn, look, it only took me a second to realise that what I did was wrong, and yeah, it'll be hard for me to be... celibate." He internally winced. "But I want to do it for you. That way, when we're married, it'll be special." He held his hands in the air. "But look, I just need to show you something before you cast me aside, alright? Meet me here in an hour, 'cause I need to do this." Before Quinn could object, Puck had disappeared into the laughing swarm of visitors. This didn't sound good.

**Glee!**

"The ferris wheel, seriously?" Artie nodded eagerly as Kurt looked up at the ride in question, a hint of disgust on his features. Beside him stood Tina, who was holding a handful of bears (she'd been extremely lucky at ring toss), and on the end stood Mercedes, who was trying to ignore everything Kurt had been saying. "But isn't it a bit impractical with your chair?"

"Don't worry, I've worked it out with the wheel's operator, and he said he'll look after my wheelchair while I ride. It'll be fun!"

Artie's smile was too genuine and too excitable for Kurt to politely decline, though he suddenly realised that he'd have to ride with-

"Tina, I'm riding with you!" Kurt burst out.

Tina stifled a laugh, but didn't protest. "That's fine by me," she grinned. Mercedes smiled awkwardly at Artie, not because she didn't like the boy (in fact, Artie was one of her closest friends), but because the animosity between her and Kurt was all too obvious in the circumstances.

"Let's go get our tickets then!" chimed Artie. Tina wheeled him towards the ride, and once they'd paid, they readied themselves to board an empty compartment.

"Okay Kurt, you get in first," insisted Tina. Kurt, a little suspicious of their ride choice, gingerly made his way into the cage-like contraption. He tried to make himself comfy while he waited for Tina, but when he looked towards them, there seemed to be some sort of problem. "Mercedes, you'll have to go in with Kurt, my shoelace is stuck in Artie's chair!"

Next thing Kurt knew, the cage was shaking from side to side as Mercedes sat opposite him, an embarrassed grimace on her face. Kurt didn't have time to protest, because suddenly, the ride lurched forwards, and the two of them were hanging in the air, staring down at a very smug looking Tina and Artie.

"This was a set up," Mercedes groaned. "I didn't think Artie would want to come on." Her eyebrows furrowed as she took in Kurt's scowl, because she hated to see him upset, and she hated it even more when it was her fault. "Kurt, please just-"

"Mercedes, if you would care to remain silent for the rest of this ride, I would appreciate it; I want to take in the sight of the carnival, and I can't do that if you're jabbering on about nothing." Kurt diverted his attention out of the cage while Mercedes stared at him in complete shock.

"Oh no you-"

"Oh yes I did, now be quiet."

Mercedes had never had a bigger urge than she had now, and that was to throw Kurt out of the carriage to watch him fall. But she didn't say anything else. If he wanted to be so stubborn and childish, well then, that was his problem!

I Want You To Want Me suddenly began to blare simultaneously in the pockets of the feuding friends. As part of an inside joke, the two of them had decided to have the same message tones, though while they were in the air and in such foul moods, the humour was lost on them both.

"_meet near the loud speakr in 10 coz i need moral support, alright? Puckaromantic"_

Mercedes stopped a small laugh from escaping her throat while Kurt simply rolled his eyes. How long did the ride last? Surely no more than five minutes, though either way, they'd have to rush to make it.

The carriage lurched, and Mercedes nearly fell onto Kurt's lap. The pair looked down to see what the problem was, and though they were quite high up, Mercedes could make out the look of worry on Tina's face.

"Uh, okay, we're having some kind of technical difficulty, but bear with us, and we should have you down in less than an hour."

No sooner had the operator shouted into his megaphone, their cell phones sung the song again.

"_Sorry guys, but we're going to go and see what Puck wants. Let us know when you get off! T x"_

Kurt looked at Mercedes and Mercedes looked at Kurt.

No. Way.

**Glee!**

Finn was just finishing his fourth corndog when he and Rachel got the message from Puck. He had no idea what it could be about, but really, how inconsiderate could the guy be? Finn's mission had been to cheer Rachel up, and he couldn't do that if he had to go and watch Puck make a fool out of himself, or whatever crazy scheme he'd come up with.

"Puckaromantic?" repeated Rachel as she scrunched up her nose. "Not only is that a tad nauseating, it probably means that it's related to Quinn, and I don't know if I'm the mood for a heavy petting session between the two of them."

Finn wasn't listening, because for one thing, Puck no longer interested him, and for another, he'd spotted a way to make Rachel smile; huge bears to be won!

"Awesome, let's go on that!" he said, carelessly throwing his empty stick on the floor. Rachel, conscientious of the environment as always, picked it up with a sigh and threw it into a trash can as she hurried to catch up with him.

"Finn, you don't have to do that, the game looks hard and you don't have anything to prove."

But again, Finn wasn't listening, 'cause he had his eye on the biggest bear in the stall. It was pink, fluffy, and covered in really sickly hearts, but he figured that Rachel would like it 'cause she liked romantic stuff, and it was the thought that counted anyway.

"Can I have three darts please?" he said to the guy, who handed them to Finn with a knowing smile.

"That's five dollars please sir," he slurred. Rachel assumed that he was trying to be friendly, but he only came across as creepy.

"Alright, watch and learn Rach, I'm gonna win you that pink bear." Finn stuck his tongue out slightly whilst closing his left eye. His hand hovered in the air, and as he cocked his head to the right, he threw his first dart, which landed on the floor. "Crap, okay, I was just practising. Watch and learn this time!" Dart number two didn't fare any better, and though dart number three actually hit the board, he only got five points, and he needed forty for the bear.

"Oh, hard luck! Maybe you'll win now that you've practised? It might only cost you another five dollars!" squawked the stall holder.

Rachel tried to stop Finn from wasting his money, but he'd already laid the note in front of him. "Three more darts please."

It didn't cost him just five dollars, and he didn't win anything after his short practise. In fact, Finn seemed to be getting worse with each attempt, which made Rachel beg the question, "Finn, have you ever played darts before?"

"Nope," he said as he threw his eleventh dart. "But I'm gonna win you that bear."

Rachel didn't want to watch. It was admirable and sweet of him to be so determined in his goal, but every time he handed over more money, she felt a stab of emotion in her eyes; he'd be broke if he carried on.

"Okay, maybe we can come back? We're supposed to go and meet up with everyone-"

"Three more darts." Finn's hand quivered, because he only had ten dollars left, and this was his last shot (literally). Rachel pursed her lips, but didn't say anything else. Instead, she watched numbly as Finn threw his first dart. Bullseye.

"Finn!"

"Wait, I have two more shots." He threw his second one; ten points. With bated breath, Finn threw the last dart, and scored another ten points. He counted the score on his fingers, and after realising that he'd won, he punched the air in victory.

"Well done," sniffed the stall holder. "Here's your prize!" Instead of reaching for the pink bear, the guy grabbed a large, worn and defective bear from underneath the counter. Its right ear was almost falling off, its nose had been scuffed countless times, and it only had one eye.

Finn looked at the bear, looked back at his original goal, then broke into a hesitant laugh. "I want the pink one please," he said with a nod.

It was the man's turn to laugh. "Haha, nice try mate but you need three bullseyes for that beauty. You can gladly keep playing though!"

Finn snatched the tattered bear, muttered something along the lines of "Fucking dick," and stormed away from the stall, the bear hanging limply in his hand. Before Rachel chased after him, she decided to take matters into her own hands, because despite Finn's naivety, the man had been extremely rude in not advertising the actual rules of the game.

"Excuse me, I'd like to introduce myself." Rachel gave her best dazzling smile, because even though the guy was a certified creep, she had to approach the matter in a civilised fashion. "My name is Rachel Berry, and I am the girlfriend of the adorable boy that you have just taken advantage of."

The man snorted with a laugh. "Yeah, what's it to me, love?"

Rachel ignored his sexist remark, since she was trying to make a point, and she didn't need to get distracted on the role of females within the modern day society. "You work in a carnival. You spend your time taking the money of innocent, happy people, and you feed on their eventual disappointment." She pointed towards the pink bear, which even she had to admit was a little over the top. "That is just a toy, and though you may regard yourself with intelligence for keeping it in your stall, in about five to six years' time, I will be a world renowned Broadway star, and you will still be here, working in dirty premises, making minimal wages each day." She placed her hands on her hips before giving a small, innocent shrug. "At that point in the future, I will be able to buy an infinite amount of pink fluffy bears, and you will be struggling to make ends meet. And, when my adorable boyfriend and I happen to come across you at a carnival, I will ask my many bodyguards to let me through, and I won't even bother to waste my money on such a silly little stall. If you hadn't acted so cocky today, there may have been a chance that I would have given you a small sum of money to help you get by in life."

"Wait, here, take it, it's all yours!"

The man held the pink bear out to Rachel, but she didn't accept it. "No thank you. It's actually a very ugly toy, and it would throw off my outfit. Have a nice day!" She smiled again, adding an extra touch of sparkle, before she tried to find Finn. She was worried that after her little, ahem, character defamation, she wouldn't be able to catch up to him, but thankfully, he was right in front of her. He began to clap whilst pulling the crooked smile that made her weak at the knees.

"Wow Rach, you really laid into the guy. If he hadn't been staring at your boobs the whole time, I might have felt sorry for him."

Rachel shrugged with a grin. "Well, I couldn't have him toying with my boyfriend!" He held out a hand, which she proudly took as her own. "Now, let's see how Noah is planning on humiliating himself."

**Glee!**

Emma was having the time of her life, regardless of the fact that she'd suffered three mini panic attacks over the food vendors, toilets and the grounds in general. Thankfully, Will had managed to coax her out of them all, and after a _lot_ of cotton candy, she was feeling good. Actually, more than good; brilliant. She'd never really enjoyed carnivals as a child, because she'd had nightmares about the freak shows, not to mention the lack of proper sanitation. Again, Will had managed to help her overcome her fears, and after going pretty crazy by eating corn off of a stick, Emma had managed to enjoy a ride or two (though only because she could feign terror and press her face against Will's chest).

It was terrible really. She'd been doing so well with her Will Schuester obsession, and she'd been more confident about herself as a person, and now, all of that had gone up in smoke. She just had to figure that everyone made mistakes, and that Will's womanising days were over and done with, permanently.

They hadn't kissed since the night before. Actually, they hadn't really done anything like that since. Will didn't hold her hand (though Emma put that down to the fact that she had problems with hand holding), and he didn't flutter his eyelashes at her (though Emma put that down to the fact that it was generally women who did that) and he didn't even ask her if she wanted to go on those cheesy love rides (though Emma put that down to the fact that the club's relationship with boats wasn't exactly spotless).

So maybe she was being paranoid; what difference did it make? All Emma knew was that she was finally okay with Will making a move, and so far, he hadn't moved an inch.

Emma's cell buzzed loudly in her purse. At the text, she frowned, because it didn't seem like something she would be invited to.

"Okay then, so Puck wants us to meet him near the loud speakers in ten minutes apparently," said Will. Emma nodded silently. "Shall we walk there slowly?" She nodded again. "Have you lost your voice little mermaid?" Emma's eyes widened while Will forced out an awkward laugh. "You know the story of the little mermaid, right? She gave up her voice to be with the man of her dreams?" Will looked concerned. "Emma, are you okay?"

"Of course, I'm fine, don't worry," she said in a rush, wearing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Let's go and see what Puck wants."

**Glee!**

Puck stood anxiously in position, ready for the show of his life. He knew it was going to be lame, but lame stuff worked on chicks (he'd learnt from Along Came Polly when his sister had forced him to watch it, and Ben Stiller ate the nuts to show he cared. Okay, so he didn't really remember most of the story, and it didn't make sense out of context, but this was basically the same thing). He glanced at his cell; two minutes to go. He hoped that the rest of the club would come to give him their support, but hell, if Quinn didn't show up, the effect would kinda be lost.

He scanned the immediate area. Thanks to his vantage point, he could see a lot of the carnival, though there was still no sign of Quinn. He juggled the microphone in his hands nervously. Standing on the top of the portable toilets wasn't exactly the most romantic thing ever, but the electrician guy had assured Puck that it was the best place to get the maximum result from the mic.

Puck exhaled; Tina and Artie were down below, watching with horror and confusion on their faces. Puck didn't care 'cause he knew that his plan was killer, just as long as-

Quinn walked up slowly, almost lost in the sea of people who had come to watch Puck (most were just hoping he'd jump). Puck spotted Mr Schue and Miss Pillsbury nearby, soon followed by Mike, Matt, Santana and Brittany. Screw the other four; if they wanted to miss it that was their problem.

Puck tapped his microphone a few times to check that it was still working, and out the corner of his eye, he saw Finn and Rachel appear, the two of them wearing matching expressions of disbelief.

Show time. Puck flicked the switch on the microphone, and with a cheesy smile, he yelled, "Hit it!" Music began to play out of the speakers, and with his eyes focused firmly on Quinn, Puck opened his mouth to sing. _"You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you. You'd be like heaven to touch, I wanna hold you so much."_

Quinn's first thought was that Puck had gone crazy; Rachel's first thought was that Puck was one of the most romantic people she'd ever met (the top spot was taken by Finn of course).

"What the hell is he singing this for?" Finn whispered in Rachel's ear; that elicited an eye roll.

"Finn, don't you remember when we watched 10 Things I Hate About You?"

An invisible light bulb appeared above his head. "Oh yeah, the guy who played the Joker sung it! Heath-"

"Ledger, yes, he sings it to Kat via the speaker system at school, and he enlists the help of the marching band and it's all amazingly romantic."

Finn looked at her suspiciously. "He's singing it for Quinn, not you."

"_At long lost love has arrived, and I thank God I'm alive. You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you."_

Will looked at Emma with a slightly devilish smile. "Damn, he's ruined my plan. I wanted to sing this to you first."

"But I thought that-"

"You thought that I wasn't interested in you because I haven't acted upon our kiss last night? Emma, I'm crazy for you, but I didn't want to frighten you off." Cautiously, he took her hand and kissed each knuckle before pecking her cheek. All Emma could do was blush.

"_I love you baby, and if it's quite alright, I need you baby, to warm a lonely night. I love you baby; trust in me when I say..."_

Even though nearly a hundred people were watching and listening to Puck as he improvised a few dance moves on the top of a portable toilet, Quinn felt like she was the only one present. His eyes seemed to smoulder, and the pure angst in his voice did a thousand things to her heart that she couldn't begin to describe.

_"Oh, pretty baby, now that I found you, stay and let me love you, baby, Let me love you."_

The music finished, and Puck was welcomed with a deserving round of applause (and a few pairs of panties, though he wasn't exactly sure where they came from). Carefully, he lowered himself from his 'stage', handed over the microphone (and a twenty dollar bill), and made his way over to Quinn, who hadn't moved a muscle since he'd begun the song.

"I meant everything I sung," he said breathlessly. Quinn found herself biting her lip, but she couldn't reply, not yet. "I've made mistakes, I've been involved in a lot of shit and I'm the stupidest motherfucker around (he decided not to focus on the literal truth behind _that_ insult)." He gulped uncomfortably. "Because I got what I wanted, and I just screwed you around. So I'm sorry Quinn."

Quinn knew what she was supposed to do next. He'd learnt his lesson, he'd sung her a song, and now she was supposed to melt into his arms as he kissed her senseless.

But this wasn't a movie, and it wasn't going to be a happy ending, at least, not for a long time. She appreciated the effort he'd gone to, and she admired his choice of song, but things couldn't be that simple.

"I forgive you for some of your mistakes," she said quite coldly. She hadn't meant to sound so harsh, but that was her default mode, and it took a bit of effort to resort to anything else. "Just so you know, I'm nothing like Rachel Berry. Finn sung her a song and everything was perfect." She laughed without humour at the thought of having something perfect. "A song doesn't heal the pain that I've experienced Puck. It's hard enough having to deal with no Beth, and I don't want to give you my heart in case you discard it again when a better offer comes along." She noticed the way Puck visibly recoiled at the mention of his daughter, _their_ daughter, but they had to overcome the stigma associated with her name. "I need time and space. Thank you for singing that song though, it was beautiful." She didn't kiss or hug him, but she managed a smile that was a little more genuine. "I'll talk to you later."

Puck couldn't do anything as Quinn walked away. His plan had failed, and he had been so sure that it would have worked. He ignored the pitiful look on Rachel's face as she and Finn approached him, 'cause he certainly didn't need her telling him how much of a loser he was.

"Tough break man," said Finn. Puck didn't look away from Quinn's retreating figure, so Finn tried to be more supportive. "Give her time. That was pretty awesome what you did up there, and when she realises how much you like her, she'll come to her senses."

Puck looked at Finn suspiciously. Was he lying? "You think?" he asked sullenly.

Finn nodded. "I do. She's just a bit hurt, so yeah, give her time."

"Finn's right Noah," interjected Rachel, who was holding her battered bear in one hand while she held Finn's with the other. "That was very romantic of you, and at least you've owned up to your mistakes."

Puck snorted indignantly as he threw his hands into the air. "But what if she doesn't take me back?"

"Dude, grow a pair!" scoffed Finn. "At least she isn't seeing anyone else! When Rachel was dating Jesse, how do you think I felt? Not only was she not interested in me, but she was with fucking St James!" Finn's grip on Rachel's hand got tighter while her cheeks blushed with the passion in Finn's voice. "I just had to be strong, and hope that one day, she'd realise that we were supposed to be together, even if it meant waiting years or something."

Puck raised an eyebrow, half in curiosity and half because he was seriously impressed with Finn's ability to get his point across. "You're right I guess. If you can be strong, then I can be ten times stronger." Rachel rolled her eyes, but said nothing. "Alright, thanks geeks, I gotta go eat. See you losers later."

Rachel shook her head sadly as Puck disappeared. "I'm sorry to say it, but I think Quinn has made the right choice."

Finn looked down at her with a surprised smile. "Really? I think she likes him more than she lets on. But whatever, that's not our problem. We need to go and buy some food too."

"Finn, you're not serious are you? You've eaten so much already!"

Finn shrugged guiltlessly. "I'm a growing boy and I need my greasy food to make me strong. Come on, I'll treat you to some popcorn."

**Glee!**

Kurt and Mercedes hadn't said a word since the ferris wheel had come to a standstill, though now and again, their song would play, and both would be anxious to read the contact from the outside world.

"_Puck sung to Quinn on the top of some toilets! It was surreal, sorry you missed it. T x"_

"Now that I would have liked to have seen," said Mercedes quietly. Kurt just looked out of the carriage with a sigh.

**Glee!**

Five o'clock came faster than Finn had thought possible, even though it felt like they'd only been there an hour. In the remaining part of the day, he and Rachel had been on practically every ride (Rachel had kindly paid for the both of them, since Finn had spent his last few dollars on a stupidly awesome hat for her to wear), they'd eaten a wide variety of meat on a stick, and they'd even had their fortunes told by a woman who had to re-read the instructions for her Tarot cards half way through (Rachel was apparently going to meet a talking cat in the next week or so, and Finn had to keep an eye on his menstruation cycle).

It had been fun. Actually, it had been more than fun, and even though Rachel had been upset that morning, she'd definitely come right out of her shell, which Finn credited to his amazing people skills.

"What time is it?" asked Finn in a whisper.

Rachel checked her watch. "4:56pm," she said regretfully as they stood beside the bus. "My dad and daddy will be on their way to the house." She didn't dare look at Finn, and instead stared down at the stuffed bear in her hands, which was so metaphorical for their relationship that she wanted to hug it tightly and never let go. "It's only for one day Finn. You'll all be leaving tomorrow night, and if I'm not grounded for the rest of summer, I'll be able to see you?"

She didn't sound so sure, which made Finn's lip wobble. "Yeah, course, we don't have to worry." He gulped nervously, because this was gonna be the last time that they were alone until who knew when, and he had to make the most it. "I'm gonna kiss you now Rachel. I was gonna surprise you, and I think the reason I'm telling you this is because I'm incredibly nervous and I have no idea why."

Rachel dropped the bear on the floor, along with her hat and every other item she was holding. "Then kiss me," she said hungrily, because she was well aware of the time, and the rest of the club would soon be returning to the bus.

Finn didn't need telling twice. In a way that was hasty and needy and vulnerable, he lifted Rachel from the ground so that he could kiss her properly. It felt like a 'goodbye forever' kiss, and he hated that, but he couldn't deny that the passion he felt on his lips was real. Rachel's hands ran frantically through his hair as she melted into his mouth, and it took all the strength Finn had not to collapse on the floor with the heat that was radiating from them both. He nibbled Rachel's lip which resulted in a tiny, hungry whimper, and then she broke away, which was a bit of a bummer, but only so she could move onto his neck, which was frickin' awesome. Finn nearly dropped her then 'cause the biting and licking and whatever the hell Rachel was doing was making him feel really hot.

"We're almost there I think!" came the unmistakable shout of Mercedes. Finn and Rachel instantly froze, though they quickly brushed themselves down and pretended to be talking about the weather as a few of their fellow glee club members joined them beside the bus.

"I never thought I'd be so happy to see you two," said Mercedes with a laugh. "I don't know if you heard, but me and Kurt were stuck on the ferris wheel for about four hours."

Rachel gasped at this news, since guiltily, she hadn't noticed their absence at all. "That's awful!" she squeaked, though her voice was a little strange (and it didn't go unnoticed).

"What's up with you?" asked Kurt with a frown. "Actually, looking at you both now, you seem a little flustered. Finn, have you been doing naughty things while we were away?"

Finn's mouth opened and closed a few times, because really, he didn't have a comeback for that. "Nope, why would you think that?" he said shakily, his voice unnaturally high.

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Oh please, the sexual tension in the air is strangling me! Anyway, I thought you two should know that Mercedes and I are friends again."

"We're too strong to argue about clothes," laughed Mercedes (though Rachel saw a flash of resentment in Kurt's eyes before he returned the smile).

"Did you have a good time Tina?" Rachel asked meekly.

The Asian nodded happily as she squeezed Artie's shoulder. "The best, though I'm not looking forward to Puck and-" She stopped talking, because Quinn walked proudly towards them, and there was no sign of Puck behind her.

"Did you all have fun today?" asked Quinn breezily.

"For the most part," drawled Kurt. "And you, princess?"

"Lots," she smiled. "Where are Mr Schue and Miss Pillsbury? I could really do with resting my feet."

"We're here." The teachers in question appeared beside them, followed by Mike and Matt (who had apparently settled their differences), and Santana and a sulky Brittany (the former of whom didn't know what Brittany's problem was). Right at that back, minding his own business, was Puck, who refused to make eye contact with any of them. "Thanks for getting here on time guys. Everybody on, and then we can head back to the house."

One by one, the students made their way onto the bus until only Finn and Rachel were left. Her hands were shaking and silent tears were pooling in her eyes.

"I'll see you again tomorrow night Rach, even if it means climbing in through your window. Come on, we've got half an hour of lovey-dovey crap to talk about until we get there."

**Glee!**

Due to the traffic on the roads, it took nearly an hour to get to the beach house, which Rachel was extremely upset about. She'd already packed her suitcases in anticipation, but she'd wanted to say bye to Finn properly, without her parents there to stop them from doing what they wanted.

The bus pulled up outside of their house, and quietly, everyone left, except for Rachel, who had spotted her dad's car from the window.

"Rachel, your dads are here," announced Mr Schue rather redundantly.

"Can I just have a moment to say bye to Finn Mr Schue?" she asked weakly.

Will was conflicted. The problem had come from Rachel and Finn's growing relationship, but yes, of course she deserved the chance to say her goodbyes. "Certainly, but don't be long, I don't want your dads to be upset about it."

Once Mr Schue had left, Rachel took Finn's hand and gave him her best smile, even if there was a tinge of sadness in her eyes. "Thank you for this week," she said simply. "We've been together for less than two weeks, and already, these have been the best two weeks of my life. Even though my dad and daddy will probably try and cut you out of my life, I won't let them, because you're perfect, and I love you." She kissed him briefly on his lips, though before he had time to reciprocate and perform his huge speech that he'd practised, Rachel bounded out of the seat and ran off of the bus, leaving Finn to chase after her.

Rachel stopped at the front door and took a deep breath. This was a new experience for her, because her dads had never been so disappointed before. The two of them represented everything good and hopeful in the world because they _understood_ and _cherished_ Rachel, and yet here they were, ready to tear her from the life that she'd come to fall in love with.

She opened the door before Finn could catch up because she needed to keep the situation drama free, though she figured that her parents would want the same thing; there was no point humiliating her in front of the glee club.

Rachel stepped inside, and fourteen pairs of eyes stared at her; two of those pairs belonged to her dads, who had retrieved her suitcases from her room.

"Hi dad, hi daddy, how was your journey?" She'd somehow expected her parents to be cold and impersonal with her, but as they watched her enter the room, they both ran forward and smothered her in kisses.

"Oh Rachel sweetie, we're so glad you're safe," cooed her daddy, who ruffled her hair as he hugged her tightly.

"Me too," she whispered, though she had the strange sensation that she was choking under their embrace.

"Come on Rachel, we need to set off now. We've made a reservation at Breadstix so that we can catch up. Say goodbye to-" Her dad's words faded out as Finn appeared behind them, a look of guilt and confusion on his face. "Honey, say goodbye to your friends, then I want you in the car, okay?" He sidestepped his daughter, and as Rachel was wrapped in more hugs than she'd ever received before, her dad confronted Finn with a furious snarl on his face. "I'm not going to make a scene here, but I want you to know that I'm very disappointed in you Finn Hudson. I don't want you anywhere near my daughter, do you understand?"

Finn nodded, because what else could he do? The dude was shorter than him, but he might as well have been fifty foot tall, 'cause Finn felt like he was going to get stepped on like a bug on the sidewalk.

"I'm ready," Rachel whispered. Her dad stepped away from Finn, glared at him one more time, then helped his husband carry Rachel's bags.

"I'm glad you've enjoyed it Rachel, have a safe trip home," said Mr Schue as he patted her on the back.

"Thank you for everything Mr Schue. And thank you to everyone. You actually made me feel like a member of the family, and that's one of the greatest feelings in the world." Rachel wiped away a tear that had escaped down her cheek. "See you all soon I hope." She headed for the door, and though she wanted to say something to Finn, she simply looked at him like she was looking at his soul. The door closed, and after a few minutes, the silence was filled with the sound of the car's engine. Finn looked miserably out of the window, watching as the car drove away.

"How about I make us a nice meal before we all go home tomorrow?" suggested Emma brightly. There were a few murmurs of agreement, and soon, the room was filled with talking and laughter.

Apart from Finn's. He wasn't depressed because he was determined. He grabbed his journal from the place that he'd left it, and with his emergency pen, he scribbled down his plan to gain the Berrys' trust.

**A/N: **Rachel's parents aren't evil, since they have a reason for their actions, and it will all become clear in the next chapter or two.

Thanks for the reviews and alerts and all that other awesome stuff. We're now nearing the end of the vacation plot all together, so I'm still trying to establish how I can keep the fic going once they return home (it'll probably just become a Finchel fic from there, but I'll wait till we get to that point). Ta ta for now! :) x


	25. Chapter 25

Rachel was sitting in the back of her dad's car, staring at the bear that she held tightly in her hands. They'd been travelling for almost forty five minutes, in which time her parents had asked her questions about every little detail of the vacation, apart from anything relating to Finn; his name hadn't even been spoken once, and Rachel didn't want to risk an argument if she mentioned him herself.

"So, who did you team up with again? Mike-"

"Chang," Rachel whispered.

"Ah yes, Mike Chang," repeated her dad. "Maybe you should use your new found friendship to hang out with him more."

Rachel rolled her eyes at the suggestion. "Maybe," she said unenthusiastically. She heard her daddy sigh loudly, which probably meant he was going to talk about her boyfriend after all.

"Finn looked thinner than I remember." Rachel didn't reply. "Was he eating properly while you were there?"

She thought about Finn's ravenous appetite, and a smile appeared on her face. "Yes, and then some," she whispered fondly. No matter how much his eating habits surprised her, Rachel loved that Finn would swallow practically anything that could be considered edible. It was one of the things she loved most about him, despite how insignificant it seemed to everyone else.

"I don't want to talk about Finn Hudson until we're home," said her dad in an intimidating, booming voice; Rachel didn't have the energy to argue with him, but her daddy clearly did.

"Honey, we don't-"

"I'm driving. We'll talk about it when we're home," he repeated firmly. Rachel sunk into her seat, letting her eyelids flutter down in exhaustion. If she fell asleep, it meant that she didn't have to deal with her judgemental father, which was certainly a relief.

Her phone vibrated once, twice, then three times. Thankfully, Rachel had placed it on silent mode, so she was able to read it without raising suspicion from her dad.

"_Sorry it took so long 4 me to txt u, i've been writin in my journal :-) i miss u already Rach, but dont worry, i hav a plan to get in your dad's good books again! Oh, and in case u didnt no, im gonna be txting u all nite long. Sorry xxxx"_

That put a much needed smile on her face.

"_You're incredibly chivalrous Finn, but I told you that once before (you probably don't remember). My daddy thinks you've lost weight, though judging by the amount of corn dogs you ate today, I doubt that very much! Rachel x"_

She settled back into her seat and allowed herself a quick nap since Finn always took a while to reply (he had a problem with his big hands and the tiny buttons). However, not even a minute later, Rachel's cell phone vibrated again.

"_Course i remember! i was pullin ur suitcase 4 u, and i didnt no wat it meant... still dont! And yeah, if anything ive put loads on! i hope u still love me when im fat!"_

For the rest of the journey, Rachel and Finn exchanged messages. Even when they talked about the simplest of things (such as the weather, the Puck and Quinn drama, and rabbits), every little word made Rachel smile to herself, and the time seemed to fly by as a result.

"Home sweet home!" announced her daddy suddenly, causing Rachel to jump and drop her cell under her dad's seat.

"I'll get it," he said. He pushed his hand awkwardly under the seat before holding up the phone to inspect the damage.

"_yeah well she has to say that coz she's my mom. i think she loves u more than she loves me LOL. she can't love u as much as I do though 0:-)"_

Rachel readied herself for the backlash, though she was at least grateful that she hadn't been reading a dirty joke from Noah (despite asking him to stop, he'd made a point of sending her the worst 'jokes' he could find).

"Go inside please Rachel," her dad said slowly. She didn't disobey, and quickly grabbed her bear, who seemed to give her a look of pity (though since he only had one eye, it was difficult to tell).

Mr Berry composed a reply, and checked it once over, his finger lingering over the send button.

"_This is Rachel's dad. Please don't text her anymore tonight."_

He pressed send.

**Glee!**

Rachel waited nervously in the front room, still clinging to her Finn bear for dear life. Her daddy was sitting beside her looking just as anxious, which meant that it all came down to her other dad, who had obviously been the force behind her sudden departure.

She didn't understand it at all. With most things, both of her parents had been immensely supportive and understanding, whether it was regarding her need to be popular or her first celebrity crush. The two of them had endeavoured to do right by their only daughter, and even if it meant giving her a very awkward, cringe worthy lesson on the right way to use a tampon (Rachel had tried to erase that from her memory), they were willing to go the extra mile for her.

Therefore, it seemed unusual that they were so outraged at the idea of Rachel having sex. Yes, it would undoubtedly be a shock for any parent to find out that their child was no longer a virgin, but her dads were open minded in most respects, and they'd told her before that when she reached this stage in her life, she simply had to take precautions.

Maybe they considered her too young to be having sexual relations with someone? It was possible, but-

Wait, it was still wrong! Rachel and Finn hadn't gotten anywhere near that kind of intimacy, so she was definitely not supposed to be feeling guilty about it.

Her dad entered the room, carrying the last of Rachel's bags. He wore a sombre expression rather than one of disgust, though she didn't dwell too much on that.

"We need to talk Rachel," he said ominously. He didn't sit down, but instead stood in front of her, looking down at his daughter.

"Okay," she whispered pathetically.

"Your daddy and I want-"

"Ahem!" Rachel's daddy cleared his throat. "This was not a joint decision!"

Her dad rolled his eyes whilst gritting his teeth. "Fine," he said with a slight growl. "_I_ want you to end your relationship with Finn Hudson."

Rachel laughed purely due to being nervous, because honestly, there was nothing funny about the situation whatsoever. "I don't appreciate your sense of humour dad, but-"

"I'm not joking," he said simply. "I have my reasons, and I want you to finish with Finn." He turned abruptly to leave, saying nothing else on the matter.

"Dad, wait!" Rachel bounced out of her seat in an attempt to stop her father, who somehow believed that he'd reached the end of their discussion. She touched him lightly on his shoulder whilst her unoccupied hand rested nervously against her neck; this was her dad, and it was completely wrong of her to feel nervous in his presence. "Can we talk about this first… please?"

Her dad turned around, though not to look at Rachel. "Hiram, set up my laptop please."

Rachel turned, confused, to watch as her daddy turned on her dad's laptop. What was he doing? Was this a way of ignoring her need for a confrontation?

"Dad-"

"Wait a minute Rachel. I need to show you something, and then you might understand why we… _I _am acting in your best interest." Rachel's shoulders slumped slowly at her father's words, though he was persistent, and refused to let her go into breakdown mode over some silly boy. "That's all I want, Rachel. I want you to be safe and happy."

"It's ready Leroy."

Her dad nodded and took Rachel carefully by the hand. "You need to watch this princess." Father and daughter walked slowly towards the coffee table, where Rachel's daddy was facing the computer, frowning at whatever was so important. "Sit there please." Rachel did as she was told, and half-heartedly, she readied herself for some kind of incriminating evidence that _obviously_ proved that she and Finn had partaken in wild, uncontrollable sexual exploits.

She stared soullessly at the laptop screen for a few seconds, waiting for some kind of emotion to kick in. She first experienced confusion. She'd half expected a badly edited photo of her in a compromising position, courtesy of some jealous Cheerio or bored football player, yet her estimations had been way off. In fact, she'd been looking at the exact same thing that very morning, which didn't help in highlighting the problem.

"You've got a copy of the interview," she said, more of a statement than a question that needed answering.

"Yes," her daddy said simply. He seemed to be taking the situation just as badly as Rachel, since he was the more dramatic of the parental figures.

"And you're planning to show me the heated sexual chemistry between Finn and I that resulted in the completely unfair treatment I received today." Again, it was a statement, not a question, because Rachel understood perfectly well what it was all about; she was just too dramatic. The whole thing about thinking of Finn as she prepared to meet certain death had been a tad over the top, but that had been Rachel's chance to shine, and she'd chosen to dedicate her air-time to her heroic, dashing young boyfriend.

"Actually, it's not about that," said her dad, a hint of guilt in his voice. "I needed to invent an excuse that would make your departure more morally plausible. The real reason will be highlighted in a few minutes time." Rachel stared in astonishment at her father, who chose to ignore her glare, focusing instead on the laptop. "Watch this please Rachel." He pressed play, and with a slight delay, the interview began to play as it had in the morning.

Rachel didn't listen to the words that the interviewer gave, and she didn't watch herself with a judgmental attitude in mind. No, she didn't focus on anything other than Finn, who stood awkwardly beside her like it pained him to be in the centre of attention.

"_So Finn, what do you plan to do when you get home, now knowing that your girlfriend could have died?"_

Rachel furrowed her brow; this hadn't been shown in the news, because Finn had-

"_We'll probably just go to bed!" _he laughed, until he realised the connotations of what he'd just said. _"No, wait, I mean that we'll just sleep together. Not like sex sleep, um, just catching up on normal sleep sleep, you know? Oh man, we can cut that out right? I don't even know why I said that."_

Rachel watched, almost teary eyed, as her double on the screen reached up to kiss Finn on the cheek. _"Calm down Finn, you don't need to be nervous."_

"_That's right," _said the news reporter. _"We're just going to shorten it down to the most relevant clips, so we won't show anything that's embarrassing. Okay, now I'm going to ask you-"_

Rachel's world seemed to become numb, which was a strange description in itself. Here she was, back at home, sitting between two men that she completely adored. At any other moment, this would have been perfect, because their work shifts meant that the three of them rarely spent a lot of time together.

But she didn't want to be at home with them, however selfish that appeared. She _wanted_ to be back at the beach house, watching Finn eating, or listening to him talk, or laughing as he joked, but instead, she had to settle with the uncut interview, which she still didn't understand. If it wasn't about sex, what was it about? She couldn't recall anything specifically unmoral in their responses, and yes, Finn had uttered a few curse words when he muddled up his sentences, but that was nothing in relation to her punishment.

"Daddy, what am I supposed to be waiting for?" she finally asked.

Her daddy looked sternly at his husband before answering. "It's coming up now," he said, though by the tone of his voice, it was easy to distinguish his disapproval in the whole affair.

"How did you get the full interview, and why?" Rachel addressed her question to her dad, whose hardened expression remained much the same.

"I contacted the WOHN offices this morning, and requested the unedited video. It was then emailed to me so that I could find out all the details about the accident. I needed to know everything Rachel, for my own sanity."

Rachel glanced down at her fingers, counting something silently as she did so. "But how did you get it so quickly? The interview was barely over for five minutes before you called me."

"We watched the early news broadcast this morning sweetie," said her daddy, who patted her on the shoulder in a soothing manner. "We were up early to visit some old friends, and we happened to catch the last part of your interview."

"Here we are," said her dad. He pointed to the computer screen, almost prodding the familiar faces that moved before him. "Listen first, and then we'll deal with the rest."

Rachel was extremely apprehensive, though she was _certain_ that nothing could incriminate the pair of them; the reporter only asked for information relating to the accident (and to school, hobbies, that sort of thing).

"_Did either of you sustain any injuries, no matter how minor?" _he asked.

The Rachel in front of them shook her head with a smile. _"Somehow, we both came out of this accident without any scratches, though we're very cold and wet, obviously." _She smiled up lovingly at Finn, who looked as uncomfortable as ever.

"_How about that large bruise on your cheek?"_

Rachel laughed as she tossed her hair. "_Long story short, it was an accident, but one unrelated to the situation."_

The video was paused indefinitely, causing Rachel to glance from her daddy to her dad, still waiting for the punch line of the bad taste joke. "I'm not sure I understand what you're concerned about," she said honestly. "You think I lied to the reporter? I didn't get hurt in the boat accident at all!"

"Oh, I know that you didn't," her dad said, almost snidely. "I'm going to run the clip back. When the bruise is mentioned, watch Finn's face." He pressed play, and only then, as the interview was replayed, and as Finn looked away in obvious guilty and self loathing, Rachel understood perfectly what the problem was; they, like Miss Pillsbury, thought that Finn had physically abused her.

"Dad, daddy, you have to believe me, Finn didn't-"

"He hurt you Rachel," said her dad loudly, not listening to Rachel's words. "You'll probably insist that it was an accident, but when people are in abusive relationships, they fail to see anything wrong with such behaviour."

"Dad, you-"

"Anyway, like I said, I want you to break up with Finn. He's definitely no good for you."

"Just let me-"

"I'm going to make some tea. Does anyone want-"

"SHUT UP!" Rachel had somehow risen from her seat, and for the first time in her life, she'd screamed at her dad like some kind of unruly, unloving child. She'd _never_ felt the need to get so worked up over something before, but honestly, her dad had asked for it with his ignorance.

"What did you say young lady?" he asked, flabbergasted. "I think you owe me an-"

"I don't owe you anything!" she shrieked. She refused to feel guilty for her outburst because he had _no_ idea how hard it was to hear him say untruthful things about Finn. "Just LISTEN to me!" She stomped on the spot like a little kid trying to get her own way, but she didn't care how immature she was coming across. "It was an _accident!_" She looked to her daddy, who looked impressed rather than disappointed. "We accidentally walked into each other, we both fell to the floor, and his elbow caught my cheek." Rachel folded her arms then stared angrily at her dad. "I would _never_ let anyone hurt me on purpose, and besides, Finn is _not _that person. I'm going to bed. When you feel like you can apologise for coming to the most ridiculous assumption ever, I'll be ready to forgive you. Goodnight."

Rachel snatched her cell phone from the table, her Finn bear from the couch, and her smallest bag from the large pile that she'd taken on vacation with her. It was too early to sleep, but she really needed to be on her own, especially since she'd just humiliated her dad.

She flung herself on her bed, tears fresh in her eyes as she sent a text to Finn.

"_I just shouted at my dad because of some stupid misunderstanding. I need a hug :( Rachel x"_

Her phone buzzed a few seconds later.

"_He told me not to reply Rach and i dont want 2 get u in trouble"_

"_Please? He won't know, I promise. Rachel x"_

She waited on edge for five minutes, staring down at her phone. It buzzed again, though it wasn't an incoming message; it was a call.

"Hey," Rachel breathed with relief. "Finn, you have no idea how much I need to hear your voice right now."

She heard a chuckle on the other end of the phone. "Not as much as I need to hear yours. Is everything okay?"

"No, but I can handle it. I'm Rachel Berry, remember?"

He laughed again. "How could I ever forget that?"

**A/N: **Sorry for the short update, and thank you for your continued feedback and support!


	26. Chapter 26

**The pancakes in this chapter are dedicated to my Glee family; you know who you are ;)**

The club's last night on vacation should have been a blast. All in all, despite the drama and despite the fact that they'd hardly done anything, the whirlwind week had been amazing, and their final night together should have reflected that.

It didn't; not even close. See, what none of them had realised was how one person could have such an impact on every member. Of course it was a shame that Rachel had left early, but it wasn't her that was unknowingly dampening the club's spirits; it was Finn. His general unsatisfied presence made the rest of them feel somehow guilty and sympathetic, and in return, they too felt just as terrible.

Will should have been the happiest guy alive. The kids had enjoyed themselves, they'd become stronger and closer as a team, no one had died on his watch, and somehow, Emma still loved him; that was enough to make him smile for the rest of the year.

But he wasn't smiling now. He cared a lot for every member of glee club, and with Rachel gone and Finn like a lost, wounded puppy, he couldn't enjoy himself like he wanted to.

Will wasn't the only one feeling Finn's pain. Surprisingly, Santana felt like crap, but she wasn't sure if that was to do with her involvement in the breakup of 'Quick' (she'd heard Kurt use it once before, and it was sickeningly cute), or just because she had a heart... somewhere.

No, she probably felt off was because she hadn't eaten in a while, and that was that.

Puck hadn't said a word since the carnival (unless you counted his grunt of a goodbye to Rachel). The whole shitty Quinn situation had really hurt his confidence, because come on, he was Noah fucking Puckerman! He could have any girl he wanted, but that was the problem; he only wanted Quinn, and he'd definitely blown it with her. He knew it wasn't just a case of wanting what he couldn't have, because hell, he loved the goddamn girl and he'd ruined that with his need for sex; in retrospect he was an ass.

Matt watched the room of people, who were all lost in their own thoughts while Miss Pillsbury had decided to start dinner. He was the quiet one, and had always been fine with that, but looking at his friends acting melodramatic made him want to shout at every single one of them until his throat hurt. They thought they had problems, but they couldn't see past the noses on their faces; they couldn't see the bigger picture. Problems were problems, but not every problem had an effect on the world around them.

He looked over at Kurt and Mercedes, who were talking again, but only barely. Artie had explained that the two friends had fallen out over a scarf, and Matt had wished with all his heart that he could have been in their shoes. He looked at Puck, who was slouched across the couch with a permanent frown on his face. His situation was a little harsher, but Matt knew that he and Quinn would sort things out sooner or later, and at least Puck could do something about it. His eyes skimmed over Brittany, who was sad for some reason, though no doubt she'd wake up in the morning and forget that she was ever worried in the first place.

Then Matt looked at Finn, who had been writing in some kind of book for the last half hour. It was cool that he cared so much for Rachel (Matt had been secretly rooting for the two of them since the Quinn days), yet again, his problem would be solved soon enough. He'd see Rachel when he got home, he'd make it up to her dads, and then everything would be perfect for them as usual.

"You alright man?" Matt turned his attention to Mike, who had been staring at Tina all night long.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired I guess."

Yes, Matt would have taken any of their problems over his; he didn't want to leave his friends behind.

**Glee!**

The morning afterwards was a strained one. It seemed that no one had slept particularly well, and when they remembered that they had to go home, tempers began to get out of control.

"Get out of my face!" Santana screamed at Mercedes, like some wild animal.

"I was here first so back the _hell_ off!"

"Hey, guys, come _on!_" interjected an exhausted Mr Schue, holding them back in an unconscious homage to their fight over Puck. "What's going on here?" He looked from one girl to another, reading nothing but hostility on their faces.

"I want some cereal!" Santana snarled, her eyes wide and hungry. Will frowned and looked to Mercedes, who rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, and I got here first. It's not my fault that I got the last of it!"

"Oh please," spat Santana, pointing Mr Schue towards the bowl of cereal, "that could feed a frickin' army!"

"I like big portions!"

"Guys, cut it out!" He grabbed the food in question and hugged it to his chest. "If you can't agree then I guess I'll just finish it off myself."

Before Santana could rip Will's heart out with her bare hands, Emma appeared with a huge array of freshly made pancakes, brandishing a timid smile.

"There are plenty of pancakes to go around if you want some?"

Pancakes seemed to be some kind of codeword, because out of nowhere, every member of New Directions gathered around Emma, hungrily staring her down. Finn was particularly excited. He didn't have a huge amount of experience at cooking, but Rachel had helped teach him the art of pancake making, and since then, he craved them constantly, anywhere and everywhere.

But pancakes weren't really the same without Rachel. It wasn't anything to do with Miss P's cooking skills ('cause he frickin' loved all the stuff she could make and bake), but as soon as he started eating them, he realised he wasn't hungry, not without Rachel rolling her eyes at his 'insatiable appetite' (her words, definitely not his).

The conversation over breakfast was a little bland, but Emma's cooking had definitely hit the spot because even Santana had mellowed (though that was probably due to the full bottle of maple syrup she'd consumed). Everyone knew they were leaving, and they didn't complain for fear of ruining the mood. Bags were packed, last minute photos were taken, ("Kurt, I can't see Tina's face when you pose like that!"), and once everyone was back on the bus, the volume returned when Puck suggested playing 'I wish I could spy'.

"Dare I ask what that is?" mumbled Artie, who couldn't stop rubbing at his eyes to try and wake himself up.

Puck looked over at Quinn, who had announced that she needed a nap, and who was now promptly ignoring him, and he smirked back at the wheelchair kid.

"It's insane. Follow my lead." He made a big deal of looking around the bus, his eyes finally landing on Brittany. "I wish I could spy Brittany's-" He smirked as Tina rolled her eyes. "-thoughts 'cause she always looks like she's thinking about rainbows and shit."

Brittany covered her mouth in shock as she whispered, "How did you know that? If you make a wish in this game, does it come true?"

Puck winked at her (because come on, the blonde bimbo was hot and Quinn was still sleeping) then leaned forwards to punch Kurt on the shoulder.

Kurt knew he should have chosen to sit as far away as possible from Noah Puckerman, but at least he had a front row seat at the look on his face when he said, "I wish I could spy Puckerman's cold, dead body by the side of the road."

Puck flipped him the finger while Brittany began to cry, then looked across at Brittany with a concerned frown. "Britt, what's up? You can have your turn soon."

Brittany wiped at her eyes and looked at Kurt with her 'I'm a sweet, innocent puppy' look. "Why would you wish that Kurt? I don't want Puck to die, but now he's going to!"

Finn wasn't listening because he was too busy thinking about his mom. It had only been a week, but man, he missed her way more than he thought he would (and it wasn't just because he'd had to look after himself for a change), and he couldn't wait to see her again.

He was selfish though. He loved her and missed her, but Finn kind of wanted her to give him advice about Rachel's dads. His mom was really wisdomous when it came to stuff like that, and he knew she'd be able to help him.

He was so psyched to be leaving, which was a pretty screwed up notion when he thought about it, but he had a lot of stuff he needed to do.

His cell vibrated in his pocket, and with an enthusiasm that couldn't be faked, Finn wrestled it from his jeans, his face breaking into a smile at the message before him.

"_I hope everyone has left the house without any problems, and I hope that you get home safely because I had a very... interesting dream about you last night that you might want to hear about. Rachel x"_

Finn choked so loudly on nothing that he received a few too many frowns and raised eyebrows from the rest of the club, because hell, was Rachel saying what he thought she was saying?

No, she didn't mean that in some kind of 'I dreamt about you wink wink' way; it was probably something about him saving a kitten that had become stuck in a tree (the first time she'd dreamt about that he'd had to endure half an hour of the story in detail, and he didn't even like cats).

Still, Finn wondered if Rachel had any dreams that weren't about cats and nice stuff, because unashamedly, he'd dreamt about her a _lot_ (though he had yet to admit that to her).

_"awesum. how did the cat get stuck in the tree this time?"_

He waited for a 'I'll tell you later because its fur colour was too breathtaking' text, but it didn't arrive, and actually, it took her a while to reply at all. Finn had gotten used to her super fast replying skills, so when ten minutes had passed without a word, he wondered if she'd been kidnapped by ninjas.

_"No cats actually. I can't say much via the medium of text messaging, but your clothes were... compromised, and I had to aid with you that. I'm going to have a shower so I'll talk to you later"_

Finn wore a huge frown on his face because A, what the hell did she mean, and B, where was her usual Rachel with a kiss?

He sat back in his seat to try and figure it out. He'd heard the word compromised before, but usually in war movies, where soldiers would shout 'our position has been compromised! Move out!' and yeah, stuff like that. So what did that have to do with his clothes?

Finn's jaw dropped. Unless she meant that his clothes had been damaged, or... He gulped. She'd dreamt that he was naked?

That had to be why she'd replied so out of character; Rachel was embarrassed about her sex dream (granted, he was purely speculating but God, the idea alone did uncomfortable, inappropriate things to his body, especially since he was surrounded by other people).

_"wish i cud be there to see that. have fun in the shower ;)"_

He sent it on a whim because hell, he was only telling the truth, and to be honest, he wanted Rachel to squirm a bit. If she thought he wasn't affected by her body then she didn't know him at all.

His cell buzzed, and with his eyes closed and ready for her wrath, Finn opened one cautiously and laughed to himself.

_"Finn Hudson, you are such a boy! For that I'm going to ignore you for the rest of the day"_

It buzzed again less than a minute later.

_"I didn't mean that. Maybe we can negotiate on shower privileges tonight when you come over? I'm sure we can work something out. Rachel x"_

Finn couldn't stop smiling all the way home.

**Glee!**

Mr Schue dropped the kids off one by one, thanking them for their presence and wishing them a good summer as they departed the bus, waving as he pulled away. They'd said their goodbyes and thank you's at the beach house, so before he knew it, Emma, Finn and Kurt were the only three remaining.

Will pulled up outside the Hummel household. Kurt departed the bus first (but not before thanking Miss Pillsbury for the delightful food, and Mr Schuester for the chance to humiliate Santana), and Finn simply smiled, because he didn't know what to say, and frankly, he was exhausted.

"Well, that was an experience wasn't it?" sighed Kurt, watching the bus disappear from sight.

"Yeah, but you mean that in a good way, right?" replied Finn, who had somehow been given the job of luggage carrier. "I had a blast, apart from all the bad stuff."

Kurt nodded sympathetically. "I understand completely. Rachel's dads hate you and Mercedes gave away my scarf; life can be a real bitch sometimes." With that, Kurt flounced inside, leaving Finn with a frown on his face and hundreds of extremely heavy bags.

**Glee!**

Rachel held her cell phone to her ear, waiting nervously for an answer

"Hey Rach; verdict?"

She breathed out. "Seven sharp." She could hear him breathe out too, because no matter how brave they were pretending to be, they knew that they had a lot of work to do, even if (for a change) they weren't in the wrong. "Finn... You're prepared, aren't you?" She tightened her grip on her pink diamante cell. "Because if my dad doesn't believe us..." She didn't finish her sentence because she literally couldn't.

"I know Rachel. I have a song ready to sing, and something that should make them realise I'm serious about you."

Rachel rubbed her temple with her free hand. "Finn, I don't know if a song is going to cut it-"

"I'm still going to sing it."

She pursed her lips, not in the mood to argue. "Fine. What will make them realise that you're serious, dare I ask?" She came across as snippy and condescending, she knew that as soon as the words left her mouth, but again, she wasn't in the mood for being careful about Finn's feelings.

"I can't tell you."

Rachel let out an exasperated sigh. "What do you mean? I need to make sure that-"

"That I'm not going to humiliate you, or humiliate myself? You can't control _everything_ I do Rachel."

She felt a flicker of anger travel across her face. Usually she'd apologise and assure him that she loved him, but she was having a terrible day. "I wasn't even thinking about that, but now that you bring it up, yes, you probably will humiliate yourself! Do you have any songs in your repertoire about being a huge idiot? Because you should sing those too!"

A heat, one that she couldn't sufficiently describe, bubbled in her throat like hot lava, and she knew, if given the opportunity, she could reduce Finn to a blubbering wreck, but she wasn't going to do that (intentionally at least).

"So you're gonna sing a song about being a self obsessed dwarf then? 'Cause I can't wait to hear that!"

She could hear the regret and pain in his voice because he evidently didn't want to insult her; it was a reflex, he was trying to protective himself, and it was her fault he was retaliating.

"Finn, I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"It doesn't matter. I'm only trying to do this for you, right? Who cares if it's killing me that everyone thinks I punched you? Because I sure as hell don't."

He hung up, and Rachel dropped her phone like it was burning her fingers. What the hell had just happened? They were supposed to be stronger than ever, and they were, it was painfully clear that they were, but somehow a one-off hand comment had left her feeling dirty and alone.

She'd called him an idiot; an _idiot_. It was tame compared to curse words and terrible insults, but she felt like she'd just injured an animal, because in one sense, idiot was the worst thing she could have called him. She knew, even if he didn't admit it, that he had a few self confidence issues, and mainly, he thought he was stupid, dumb, insert derogatory untruths here. He wasn't.

But she'd just told him he was.

He was trying so hard to get things back to normality for them.

She fell back onto her bed. She didn't cry, but tried to keep her mind off of the real problem that had been bothering her all day long; she'd had two dreams the night before. The first had been about... ahem, _Finn_, and she'd never been happier about being bashful. The second dream had been about the accident.

Rosie's dead eyes seemed to stare at her from every nook and cranny, even when she was awake, and it was really starting to affect her.

Rachel sighed with a humourless chuckle. The one person who had her back throughout the whole ordeal, the one person who had her back throughout _every_ ordeal... well, she'd just pushed him away, and she couldn't even pick up her phone to apologise.

**Glee!**

Finn didn't know what had just happened, like, at all. He walked over to his mirror, examined himself in his reflection, then held a hand to his forehead; he didn't look or feel any different.

But he'd just yelled at Rachel and hung up on her.

He shook his head; what the hell had just happened?

He contemplated calling her back but he didn't know what he could say, didn't know what she could say.

What the hell?

Finn shook his head again in an attempt to try and understand the situation, but all he could think about was the way she'd snapped at him, and the way he'd snapped at her so _easily_. She hadn't even been that harsh, yet he'd s_napped_ at her.

Oh God, it was already happening. They'd only been dating for two weeks, and they were grating on each other, just like- Finn gulped; just like him and Quinn used to do.

He was overreacting, right? Because he was tired and he missed Rachel, and she was sad and he missed her (he hoped). It wasn't anything _serious_.

So did that mean he needed to call and apologise? Did that mean that he was still invited for dinner? Finn hated it when he couldn't answer questions in class; he hated it even more when he couldn't answer important questions about their relationship.

**Glee!**

Rachel sat beside her dad on the couch, staring up at the clock on the wall that seemed to get bigger and more intimidating with every minute that passed. She hadn't spoken to Finn since their disagreement, which meant that she had no idea if he was going to turn up after all. It didn't help that her parents had dressed up in their finest suits, that she was wearing her favourite party dress, that dinner would be ready for four people, not three, that she wasn't even sure if she wanted him to come.

No, of course she wanted him to come, because she loved him and he loved her and they had to prove to her father that it was all some huge misunderstanding.

"He won't be late, will he? If he's late, the meat will be spoiled and the evening will be ruined for all of us."

Rachel resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her dad, and instead shook her head, glancing nervously towards the kitchen where her daddy made the final preparations to the meal.

"Of course not." It was ten to seven, and Rachel wondered if her dad could hear her heart beating loudly and erratically in her chest. "He'll be here soon, I'm sure of it."

Someone knocked on the door, and like a bullet out of a gun, Rachel raced towards it, trying to keep her hopes down in case it wasn't him.

She opened the door, and standing on the step, wearing a dashing suit and a guilty smile, was Finn Hudson, a backpack hanging on his shoulder.

"Rachel, I'm... look, about earlier, I didn't... I think I'm-"

Rachel stepped forward, took his hands in hers, and leaned into him to plant a grateful, hungry kiss on his lips.

"I'm sorry and I love you." She smiled and gave a determined, 'we can do this' nod. "Come on, you have my parents to impress."

**A/N: **My first Jigsaw update in over a month! D: I'm sorry it's taken so long. Without hosting a pity fest, I've been busy/ill/sad/uncreative, but I'm hoping to get things back on track.

Okay, so, now that we have a break from new Glee episodes, my mission in life is to catch up with this fic, and though I can't promise weekly updates, I haven't forgotten about this I _swear._ Thank you for being so patient with me! Rachael x


	27. Chapter 27

Finn had dealt with some crap in his time, and hell, that made him sound ancient (he was only sixteen years old for God's sake, but it was still true). He didn't even bother to list his issues in his head because it only served to depress him, and tonight wasn't the time for low esteem; he had a mission to do, the fate of the free world resting on his shoulders (yeah _right_, but it made everything sound cooler and more dramatic if he pretended he was some kind of Jack Bauer guy).

The fate of the free world actually boiled down to one girl and her two dads, which wasn't as impressive as it could have been. However, for Finn, this _was_ his world, because Rachel Berry was his new reason for existence, and that meant that he had to make a good impression... again.

Therefore, when he stared down at Rachel, who seemed surprised and grateful for his entrance, he knew that he was doing the right thing.

Rachel closed the door behind Finn, looking at him with nothing but admiration; she was so thankful that he'd come after all.

"Wait here for a second," she whispered. Leaving Finn standing awkwardly in the hallway, she hurried into the living room, where her dad looked positively livid; he'd probably been hoping that Finn wouldn't turn up to make his argument stronger. "Dad, Finn's here. I'm just going to take his coat and then we'll come through."

Rachel skipped back to Finn, and with a tiny smile, she brushed her hands across his shoulders. "Can I take your jacket and backpack?"

"Oh yeah, thanks. I'll need the bag later thought," he said quietly, not quite returning her smile. Rachel didn't dwell on the mixed signals in the air, and instead took his jacket, hung it up alongside her dads', stashed the backpack with the pile of shoes, then found herself being pulled against Finn's chest in a tight embrace, Without hesitating, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face against his shirt.

"Are you okay Finn?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. By the way, you look stunning, like... wow."

Rachel looked up at him, tears shimmering in her eyes (she _really _didn't need to cry right now because her mascara wasn't waterproof), and Finn smiled down at her like he was the luckiest guy in the world.

"You look very dapper," Rachel admitted, "like... wow."

He stuck his tongue out at her, then took her hand and kissed her palm, a crease appearing between his eyebrows. "Okay, let's do this."

Rachel nodded, and tugged him gently into the living room, where her dad seemed to be having a heart attack at the mere sight of them together.

"Nice to see you again Mr Berry," said Finn, somehow managing to hide the absolute terror from his voice. Rachel gulped, but didn't let her over-the-top smile waver for a second.

Her dad didn't seem to be impressed, but nonetheless, he rose from his seat and uncomfortably shook Finn's hand in his own, mumbling something to himself that didn't sound particularly complimentary.

"Finn, welcome!" The three of them looked towards the kitchen, where Rachel's daddy appeared, a genuine smile on his face (and an apron that read 'Pleased to meat you', which Finn didn't really understand). "It's good to see you again!" He rushed over to hug Finn, which no one had been expecting, and with a nervous laugh, Finn patted the man on the back.

"You too Mr Berry," he said, smiling his best 'I'm-Finn-Hudson-and-yeah-I'm-totally-in-love-with-your-daughter' smile.

"You're just in time! Dinner is served!"

**Glee!**

It was awkward; oh _God_ it was awkward. Finn had kind of underestimated how terrified he would be, and he'd also underestimated how tight his clothes were. Considering he had little need for suits and formal stuff, he'd decided to stick with the outfit he'd worn at the Fabray dinner. What he hadn't realised was that he'd either gained weight with all the extra food he'd been eating (Rachel baked _way_ too many cookies and bread), or had put on muscle weight during the past few months (he'd been doing a few more exercises than usual to try and stay in shape). Either way, it meant that whenever he moved his arms, he looked like some kind of human robot, and it wasn't the most comfortable experience in the world.

On top of that, the conversation had been strained since the four of them had taken their seats. Finn liked Rachel's daddy; he was the most laid back of her parents, and he genuinely seemed to like Finn, but every time he started a conversation, her dad would somehow finish it, and they'd eat in silence again, waiting until someone else said something.

However, with all the glaring and stuff from her dad, Finn couldn't stop staring at Rachel (apart from when he was cutting up his meat 'cause he'd accidentally cut up his napkin when he wasn't looking and he didn't want to come across as an idiot). Yeah, he'd been worried about their fight over the phone, but being near her again after all they'd been through... he couldn't ask for more, especially since she looked stunning (and he wasn't just saying/thinking that).

They finished the rest of their meal in silence, and apart from the sound of cutlery on their plates, no one said a word until everything had been eaten.

"That was amazing Mr Berry," Finn finally ventured, once he'd made sure to clean his plate of every crumb.

Rachel's daddy gave him a large smile. "Thank you Finn, I'm very glad you enjoyed it. The dessert hasn't actually set yet, so maybe the four of us could talk in the living room until it's done?"

The three Berry's rose from their seats in unison, but Finn's legs were suddenly made of jelly because this was _it; _time to shine. He followed them shakily, and as quietly as possible, he whispered, "Rach, is it okay if I go and get my backpack?"

"I'll get it," she smiled, placing a hand on his arm briefly as she disappeared.

Finn stuck his hands in his pockets and rocked slightly on the spot, trying to calm his nerves.

Stage fright was such a weird concept for him. He'd sung for the Fabrays, he'd sung for glee club, he'd sung for hundreds of people at Invitationals, and Sectionals, and Regionals; the list went on and own.

Now here he was, ready to sing for his girlfriend and her parents (which he'd done before actually, the last time he'd been invited to dinner), and he thought he was going to shrivel up and die on the spot. There was so much riding on what he had planned, and as Rachel returned with his bag in her hands, Finn wondered if he'd made a mistake; maybe a song was the wrong way to go.

"Um, okay, before you yell at me for whatever you think I've done Mr and Mr Berry, I have a few things I need to do and say first," he announced, blushing slightly when his voice cracked. Rachel watched him fondly from the couch, even if she was secretly terrified in case Finn had chosen to sing something inappropriate.

Her dad frowned, but said nothing, and her daddy nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, are you going to be singing something for us? What a good idea!"

Finn let out a tiny breath of relief. "Yeah, I am. Do you have a, um, radio I could borrow?"

"It's to your left," said Rachel's dad in a deadpan tone.

Finn fumbled with the radio, slipped in a homemade CD, then cleared his throat before pressing play. He adjusted himself so that he was as comfortable as possible (man, his clothes were tight!), and without another word, he looked straight at Rachel, as if they were the only two people in the room.

"_I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images, and we when kiss they're perfectly aligned." _

Rachel's first reaction was to blush profusely because her dad made a noise of disapproval in his throat, and she was well aware that her daddy was smiling at her, even if she refused to smile back. What was Finn thinking? She didn't recognise the song, but singing about the two of them kissing? Yes, it wasn't as if he was singing I Wanna Sex You Up (she'd heard all about his escapades in the Acafellas), but under the strained circumstances, it seemed a poor choice.

However, once she tried to forget that her parents were beside her, she could appreciate the raw emotion in what Finn was singing, and she could appreciate the affection in his eyes, and she could appreciate how terrifying it was for him; she smiled like she meant it, because she _did_ mean it, and Finn smiled back as he sung.

"_And I have to speculate that God himself did make us into corresponding shapes, like puzzle pieces from the clay."_

Finn just went with the flow. Iron and Wine were pretty epic anyway, but actually singing one of their songs to Rachel gave him a boost of self confidence, and he knew that he'd done the right thing.

"_And true, it may seem like a stretch, but it's thoughts like this that catch my troubled head when you're away, when I am missing you to death."_

Rachel felt her heart swell because she loved Finn _so_ much, and it felt like she'd rediscovered this by listening to him sing.

"_When you are out there on the road for several weeks of shows, and when you scan the radio, I hope this song will guide you home."_

Finn risked a glance to her dad, and thankfully, he didn't look like he was going to kill him (unlike Mr Fabray, who probably would have strangled him with his bare hands if he'd had the chance).

"_They will see us waving from such great heights; come down now, they'll say. But everything looks perfect from far away; come down now, but we'll stay."_

He looked at her daddy; thank God, he was brushing a tear from his eye, and so long as it wasn't a 'I hate this song and I hate my daughter's boyfriend' tear, Finn was gonna survive after all.

"_I've tried my best to leave this all on your machine, but the persistent beat, it sounded thin upon listening, and that frankly will not fly. You'll hear the shrillest highs and lowest lows with the windows down, when this is guiding you home."_

Finn was about to start singing the last chorus of the song when Rachel suddenly stood up, adjusted her dress, then walked towards him, a tiny, hesitant smile on her face.

"_They will see us waving from such..." _she sang, though she couldn't remember the rest of the words. Finn quickly whispered something in her ear, and she nodded, grateful for the help. "_Such great heights; come down now, they'll say." _

"_But everything looks perfect from far away; come down now, but we'll stay." _Their impromptu sort-of duet ended, and as the music died out, Finn grinned from ear to ear 'cause he'd _nailed_ it. Rachel's daddy began to clap furiously, slowly joined by her dad, who managed some semblance of appreciation.

"Finn, that was superb!" gushed her daddy, who stood up to pat Finn on the arm. "Your song choice was very fitting, and I found myself tearing up at the puzzle piece sentiment."

Finn gave a bashful grin. "Yeah, I chose that song because of that actually." He glanced at Rachel briefly. "It sounds weird, but I feel like only half of something, like an incomplete jigsaw I guess, and she sort of... completes me..." He trailed off because he didn't want to scare her parents, but if anything, her daddy looked even more enthusiastic. "Erm, there's something else I need to do now," he said quickly before they could say anything else. He bent down to retrieve something from his backpack, and when he pulled the object out gently, he could hear three distinctive gasps of surprise.

Rachel felt like the wind had been knocked out of her lungs, because in his hands was an urn, and she hadn't been expecting that at all.

Finn held the urn protectively in his arms, unconsciously running a finger along the cool metallic surface. "Last time I came for dinner, I thought we'd gotten off to a great start," Finn began, staring at the object in his hands. "I was glad that you were okay with me seeing Rachel, and I was just happy to be accepted." He averted his gaze to Rachel's dad, who looked apprehensive, and a little frightened. "But I need you to meet someone now, because I'm serious about Rachel, and I want you to know that." He held the urn towards the three of them. Quietly and solemnly, he whispered, "this is my dad, Christopher Hudson. I should have introduced you before, and I'm sorry, but it slipped my mind."

No one knew what to say. Rachel wanted to cry for Finn because he was the most amazing, selfless person she knew, her daddy wanted to ask how he'd died, but was worried it would be disrespectful, and her dad wanted to take back everything he'd ever said about Finn.

"It's nice to finally meet you Mr Hudson," Rachel said softly. She took a step forward, and with an encouraging smile from Finn, she lifted the urn from his hands, surprised at the weight of it, and pressed her lips to the container like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Your son is amazing, and I'm sure you're very proud of him. Did he tell you that he saved a lot of lives not so long ago?" She smiled at Finn. "He gets his bravery from you Mr Hudson, that's obvious." She handed the urn back to him, and found herself being embraced by her daddy.

"Your father was a soldier, wasn't he Finn?" asked Rachel's dad.

Finn nodded sombrely. "Yeah. He died in Iraq." He didn't elaborate because he didn't think it was necessary (and he wasn't sure he could keep it together if he tried).

"I'm sorry," said Mr Berry.

"It's okay. I didn't know him, so-"

"No, I didn't mean that, though I am very sorry that you didn't have the chance to know your father." He cleared his throat, gritted his teeth, then let out a deep sigh before laying a hand on Finn's shoulder. "I'm sorry for doubting you Finn. I'm sorry that I reacted on a hunch, and I'm sorry that-" He didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he nodded once in Finn's direction, then disappeared into a different room, closing the door behind him.

"He's just feeling guilty for being so judgmental," said Rachel's daddy with a sympathetic smile. "Thank you for coming tonight Finn, thank you for the heart warming performance, and thank you for introducing us to your dad. If you two could excuse me, I'm going to go and talk to my husband."

Neither Finn nor Rachel said anything as her daddy left them alone, and when they realised they were _actually_ alone, they weren't sure how to react.

"Thanks Rach, for talking to my dad like that, even if he's just a pile of ash." Finn placed the urn on the coffee table and looked down at Rachel, who was biting her lip in some kind of thought. "You probably think I'm crazy."

"No." Her jaw set, she frowned and shook her head. "I don't think you're crazy at all, and your dad is more than ash; it's okay to feel love for someone that has passed away. You don't need to thank me for anything; I feel honoured that you'd even think of introducing us."

Surreal was a word Finn had come to associate with Rachel, though not necessarily in a bad way. See, it was surreal that he'd brought along his dead dad to try and win her parents over, and it was even more surreal that she was playing along. As stupid as it seemed, he felt like his dad could hear things, even if he couldn't reply. When his mom had admitted to talking to the urn every night before bed, it made Finn realise that it was an acceptable thing to do, even if others wouldn't understand.

But Rachel understood. Rachel understood that he was still his dad, even if he wasn't able to take him to football matches and teach him to drive and talk to him about girls; he was still loved by Finn, and that meant that he was loved by Rachel too.

It was moments like these when Finn was reminded of how special Rachel really was. He tried not to compare her to Quinn when he could help it 'cause the two were so different, and Quinn was in the past, but for comparison's sake, he knew that she would never have understood something like this. Quinn didn't see things in the same way as Rachel did, and she would have probably rolled her eyes before telling him that he was being ridiculous.

Rachel hadn't though. Rachel had kissed the urn and told his dad that he was brave, and that Finn was brave, and how was it even possible to love someone so _fucking_ much? Seriously, he wanted to know, because he was pretty sure that he could get a world record for the 'most in love person in history' or something (or if not that, he at least deserved one for 'high school guy with the douchiest best friend').

"You feel like an incomplete jigsaw?" Rachel whispered, snapping Finn from his thoughts.

He shuffled nervously on the spot. "Yeah, I know I'm not good with metaphors and-"

"No, Finn, that's perfect." She took a step closer to him, and without touching him, she let her hand hover next to his cheek, careful not to make contact. "I feel exactly the same. Without you, I feel like something's missing." She pressed her hand to his face and smiled warmly. "And when I'm with you I feel complete. So no, you're perfect with metaphors." She blinked a few times to fight away unnecessary tears (she was crying so much recently and it was getting ridiculous). "And in case I haven't made myself clear, I love you, even if you look like you're going to burst out of your clothes at any second."

Finn didn't need an invitation. High on good food, good music, and Rachel Berry, he engulfed her in a romantic, spin-you-in-my-arms kiss that she happily returned, her hands pulling at his hair as she murmured her appreciation into his mouth.

"How did you ever doubt them?" whispered Rachel's daddy, who along with his husband, watched the two of them through the crack of the door.

Her dad sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. "Part of me wants Rachel to stay young, single and happy forever."

His husband raised an eyebrow. "Can't you see that Finn's the one that makes her happy? We just have to accept that she's growing up, and we couldn't have asked for a better person for her to grow up with."

**A/N:** Lyrics are Such Great Heights by Iron and Wine/The Postal Service

Hope everyone had an awesome Christmas and a happy new year! I'm sorry that my updates are few and far between, and I'm sorry in advance; I won't be adding a new chapter to this for at least or month or so. I should be back to regular updates in February (for those of you following Brown Eyes, I'll try and get the update up in the next few days). As always, thank you for being so patient, and for the amazing feeback ;-;


	28. Chapter 28

Emma Pillsbury wandered through her local grocery store, wincing now and again over the fresh fruit and vegetables that were haphazardly scattered around. As she tried to locate a potato that wasn't caked in mud, she involuntarily shuddered as on old man, who had just been scratching his nose beforehand, examined almost five parsnips before choosing one to buy.

Emma stared at the vegetables, absolutely horrified. This was something that she was never going to be able overcome. Therapy was going well, actually, but shopping in this way had always been an issue. Yes, she understood that people wanted the best carrots and the best cucumbers, but did that mean that they had to handle hundreds before they found one that was no different from the rest?

With a shiver, Emma reached for a pre-packed container of potatoes, promised to wash her hands thoroughly when she made it home alive, and bumped into someone as she attempted to run away from the germs. Their hand baskets collided, onions and cabbages tumbling all over the place, and before she knew it, she was sitting awkwardly on the floor, a mound of vegetables in her lap and a furious blush on her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, I- Emma?"

The voice was hard to forget, and with a quick adjustment of her hair, Emma looked up at the person towering over her, an amused smile on his face. "C-Carl? Hi!" She attempted to stand, but Carl, ever the gentleman, held out his hand and carefully pulled her up, helping to brush off some of the imaginary dirt from her clothes. "Thank you," she breathed, taking five seconds to catch her breath, "I'm sorry that I bumped into you, I was having a vegetable crisis."

Carl shook his head with a broad grin. "Don't worry about it. How are you doing? I haven't seen you in a while, and-"

"Oh my God!" Emma shrieked, interrupting him and warranting a look of concern on Carl's face.

He glanced around them, his eyes widening. "What is it? Are you hurt?"

She pointed at his chest and gasped. "Is that a Rocky Horror t-shirt?"

Carl looked down at the infamoous red lips and grinned. "Yeah, it is," he laughed. "Jeez Emma, you scared me there for a second. I'm guessing you're a fan?"

Emma nodded timidly with a tiny, bashful smile. "A huge fan."

The two of them stood amongst the broccoli for a minute, simply smiling at each other, until Carl took a deep breath and decided to bite the bullet. "Did you want to go for lunch together somewhere? I can talk about Rocky Horror until I'm blue in the face."

Emma felt her heart jump in her chest, but she wasn't exactly sure what that meant. She was dating Will now, but still, that didn't mean she couldn't be friends with Carl, right? She briefly thought about the roles being reversed, about Will being _just_ friends with Terri, but she ignored the jealousy and decided to go for it; she needed to be more impulsive anyway.

"Sure, it's astounding isn't it?"

Carl flashed her an award winning smile as he rolled his eyes, and took her basket in his hands. "It is indeed. Let's go and buy our veg and then we can get going."

**Glee!**

Puck banged his head against his bedroom wall in frustration; his summer was turning out to be the worst one ever, even though it should have been a blast. Why? Quinn Fabray, that's why. He'd thought that they'd be spending their time together doing all kinds of awesome shit (he'd totally been planning to seduce her into sleeping with him again), but he'd gone and fucked that up; who knew he was _actually_ a Lima loser after all?

With nothing left to do, he decided to be a dweeb and resort to Facebook, 'cause there were always a bunch of bored people wasting their time farming crops and answering quizzes and stuff. He fired up his ancient computer, kicked it a couple of times for good measure, then logged onto the site, trying his best not to creep on Quinn's page (he would save that for later when he needed something to jerk off to).

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **is having a pretty shitty summer FYI. Any of you losers wanna get your asses kicked on COD?  
_Santana Lopez likes this_

**Santana Lopez** I wouldn't mind you kicking my ass in the bedroom Puckerman ;D

**Finn Hudson **Okay, I'm totally gonna ignore Santana's comment 'coz it's insanely creepy and stuff, but I'm up for a bit of fun!

**Santana Lopez **WTF?

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **Give him a minute, he's a bit slow.

**Finn Hudson** Wait, I didn't mean like that kind of fun! I meant getting my ass kicked!

**Santana Lopez ***rolls eyes*

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **Again, give him a minute, my boy's an idiot.

**Finn Hudson **I totally meant I'll be doing the ass kicking, alright? When did everyone get so literal?

**Santana Lopez **Do you even know what that word means Hudson? I'm impressed.  
_Noah 'Puck' Puckerman likes this_

**Rachel Berry **Leave him alone Santana! Finn's vocabulary is increasing daily thanks to my wide range of lexical and syntactical knowledge. Besides, he won't be joining you today, Noah, since he promised to take me to the zoo, and I've still to find out what time we're going.

**Finn Hudson **Crap, babe, I totally forgot about that! Can't we reschedule? It's cold outside and I'm still trying to understand what you just said...

**Rachel Berry **No Finn Hudson, you promised! You're taking me, and that's final; I've been looking forward to seeing the penguins for days now!

**Finn Hudson **Fine.

**Santana Lopez **Whipppppppped.  
_Noah 'Puck' Puckerman likes this_

And there it began. Who knew you could have so much fun stalking people? Honestly, some of the crap people came out with was _hilarious_; accepting the glee club's friend requests had been the best thing Puck had ever done.

**Finn Hudson **Last time I'm going to a zoo EVER!  
_7 people like this_

**Kurt Hummel **Oh God, dare I ask what happened?

**Rachel Berry **Finn, don't you think you're overreacting to the whole thing?

**Quinn Fabray **Spill the beans Finn, I'm insanely curious, as sad as that is.  
_Noah 'Puck' Puckerman like this_

**Rachel Berry **There's nothing to tell.

**Artie Abrams **Are you saying that just to protect Finn's dignity?

**Finn Hudson **I don't have any dignity left.

**Santana Lopez **Come on princess, there's nothing juicier than a bit of glee club gossip ;D

**Finn Hudson **Me and Rachel have broken up.

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **What the hell?  
_12 people like this_

**Kurt Hummel **And you didn't even bother to tell me?

**Rachel Berry **Finn, stop spreading such hateful rumours! We are still an item, despite what my BOYFRIEND says; he's just sulking because of the zoo incident.

**Santana Lopez **Oh for the love of God, just tell us and stop rubbing the secret in our faces. Did the keepers think you'd escaped from the monkey enclosure, Hudson?  
_4 people like this_

**Finn Hudson **A giraffe ate my ice cream, and as I was trying to stop it, another one stole my sunglasses.  
_23 people like this_

**Glee!**

**Artie Abrams** is in the dog house.  
_Mike Chang, Matt Rutherford and 3 other people like this_

**Mike Chang **Trouble in paradise?

**Artie Abrams **Yes; why can't my girl understand that video games are a staple part of my diet?

**Brittany** I didn't know you had a dog Artie! Is it a girl or a boy?

**Kurt Hummel ***facepalm* Brittany, did someone drop you when you were a baby?

**Santana Lopez **LOLOLOLOL

**Artie Abrams **I don't have a dog Britt, it's a turn of phrase.

**Tina Cohen-Chang **Seriously Artie? We have an argument and you had to tell Facebook? :\

**Santana Lopez **I totally have somewhere to be right now but I'm gonna stick around for a while ;D  
_Brittany likes this_

**Brittany **Is that because you're confused about the dog thing too San?

**Kurt Hummel **To reiterate, *facepalm*

**Artie Abrams **Tina, it wasn't even that big of a deal, and these are my friends.

**Santana Lopez **You tell her Wheels! I wanna see some bitch slapping!  
_5 people like this_

**Tina Cohen-Chang **'Friends', of course. Let me know when you've stopped acting like a child.

**Artie Abrams **Tina!

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **Up for some COD Abrams?

**Artie Abrams **...I'll be online in ten.

**Glee!**

Mike stared at his laptop screen with a hopeless longing that he couldn't place. Actually, scratch that, he could place it alright; Tina. He wasn't sure when his 'Tina's pretty cute' crush had become a 'Tina's the love of my life' kind of thing, but it had happened, and there wasn't much he could do about it.

Was it wrong that he'd enjoyed her argument with Artie a little too much? He was a great guy and everything, but Mike was _positive_ that he could make Tina happy, given the chance and all.

He needed to put things in motion, even if it was just online.

**Mike Chang - Tina Cohen-Chang**

'Hi Tina, it's Mike. I'm volunteering at an Asian summer camp for a few weeks, and I was wondering if you wanted to come? It's good experience and it'll be fun? Let me know :)'

He left her a message on her Wall, and decided to log off, since he didn't need to be refreshing unhealthily until she replied. He was about to close the browser when a notification popped up, and he felt himself go dizzy (man up Chang!).

**Tina Cohen-Chang **I'd love to Mike! I don't have anything else planned. Will you message me all the details?

**Mike Chang **Sure, great, okay :)

**Artie Abrams **But it's summer! And we're supposed to spend it together Tina!

**Tina Cohen-Chang **Oh, so you're only interested when other people want to spend time with me? You're unbelievable Artie.

**Santana Lopez **Meow!

**Tina Cohen-Chang **Get lost Santana, I'm not in the mood.

**Brittany **Santana can't get lost Tina, she has a map, I've seen it!  
_4 people like this_

**Artie Abrams **Fine, do what you want. Have fun.

Mike wanted to celebrate, because spending time alone with her (granted, with kids too) was a victory in itself, but he couldn't help feeling guilty about Artie...

Never mind. He wasn't planning on _doing_ anything with Tina, he just wanted to get to know her even better...

Right?

**Glee!**

Matt was feeling lousy. His dad had already made him pack up most of his belongings, and seeing his things in cardboard boxes... it killed him. He'd lived in his house since he was a baby, and not only did he have friends in the area, all of his memories of _everything_ belonged inside the house that he was being kicked out of.

He'd been to see the new one. It was bigger and more spacious than their old house, it was in a good neighbourhood, and apparently his mom was going to let him get a dog as a compromise; as if that changed anything.

He had to tell the glee club, and honestly? That was going to be one of the worst parts, but not because they were going to miss him; he was pretty sure they wouldn't. If Finn announced he was moving away, he could imagine everyone throwing themselves in front of buses out of depression, but he was Matt Rutherford, the quiet kid; maybe they wouldn't even notice his absence.

Therefore, he decided not to do it face to face, because he couldn't bear to see the indifference of his friends. Next best thing? Facebook.

**Matt Rutherford **I don't know if anyone is online/cares, but I'm transferring from McKinley at the end of summer. It was nice knowing you guys.

**Santana Lopez **No fucking way! Is there a dislike button on this thing?  
_22 people like this_

**Mike Chang **Come on Matt, of course people care! I'm still devastated!

**Artie Abrams **Is this some really late April fool's joke?

**Mercedes Jones** I'm gonna miss you so much Matt :'(  
_9 people like this_

**Rachel Berry **Oh my gosh Matt, I can't believe it! Now we won't have enough members to go to Sectionals!

**Santana Lopez **You're lucky I'm embracing my 'be nice to fuglies' crap, Berry, because I can't believe you're worried about that when we're losing the legend that is Matt Rutherford.  
_3 people like this_

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **This sucks camel balls!

**Kurt Hummel **Puckerman, you have such a way with words. I'm sorry that you're leaving Matt, I truly am.

**Finn Hudson **Rachel isn't fugly!

**Finn Hudson **And sorry that you're leaving dude, we've had some good times.

**Rachel Berry **I'm sorry, I'm aware that my comment was rather selfish. New Directions won't be the same without you Matt! (And thank you Finn for sticking up for me x )

**Brittany **What does transferring mean? Are you going to be in my classes now? :D

**Quinn Fabray **Brittany, it means that he's leaving to go to another school, which is a shame, because you're one of the more decent guys I know Matt.

**Tina Cohen-Chang **I hope you settle in at your new school, and we'll all miss you!

**Matt Rutherford **Whoa, I go pee and I get fifty thousand alerts! Thanks guys, I'm gonna miss you all too. Glee's been a total blast!  
_16 people like this_

Looks like they cared after all.

**Glee!**

**Brittany **Is anyone good with computers? I'm trying to play my sister's Barbie game but it won't let me!  
_2 people like this_

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **Is sister a code word for Berry?

**Santana Lopez **Oh my God Britt, you DO know this is public, right? I totally need to educate you on what's cool and what's NOT.

**Brittany **Code word? :S Barbie is incredibly cool! She's my role model!

**Rachel Berry ***sigh* Why is that you like to insult me, Noah? No, I didn't lend Brittany a Barbie computer game.

**Artie Abrams **I happen to be an expert on technological problems as it happens 8)

**Brittany **What does that smiley mean? I can't tell if you're being mean Artie!

**Artie Abrams **Oh, no, it's supposed to be a nerdy smile. I can help you if you want?

**Santana Lopez **I'd be careful if I were you Abrams, Brittany has a tendency to pounce on guys when she's alone with them...

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **I can vouch for the above comment.

**Tina Cohen-Chang **What's this about pouncing?

**Santana Lopez **Uh oh, BUSTED!

**Tina Cohen-Chang **Santana, don't you have anything better to do than be on Facebook all day long?

**Santana Lopez **I'm waiting for a booty call actually so STFU Chang.

**Brittany **Santana, don't speak to Tina like that! She almost died on vacation, so that means you have to be really nice to her, even if the goth look is lame now.

**Brittany **Oops, didn't mean to say that out loud.

Tina turned off her laptop with a mixture of a snarl and a sob. She wasn't sure why, but since they'd returned from vacation, Artie was distant and uninterested in her. Okay, so she didn't have much experience dating people, but she was _sure_ that he was supposed to at least call her now and again, but he didn't even text her unless she made the effort to do so first.

Santana? Well, Santana was just being a bitch as usual, but she wasn't too bothered about that. No, she was bothered by the happiness she'd felt at Mike's invitation. She got along well with him, ever since the ballads assignment, and yes, some people would consider him to be 'hot', but she was dating Artie, she didn't think about things like that!

Much.

Tina hung her head in her hands. She felt like it was going to be a long, confusing summer.

**Glee!**

Santana was a girl with a mission; make Puck hers. The whole Quinn thing had gotten tremendously old, because seriously, he'd already knocked her up, and there was no way he'd want to risk it again.

When it came to Puck, Santana was strangely addicted to everything about him. She wasn't much for settling with one guy, but Puck? Well, she was willing to make an exception... probably. The sex was good, the banter was good, and hell, he was one of the finest guys in school; they were the hottest fuck buddies in Lima.

She had a problem though. She was used to one night stands and quick hook-ups, but when it came down to being faithful to one person, she wasn't even sure where to start; was it okay for her to approach him? She toyed with her cell in her hands, ready to invite him over for a morning make out session, but for just a second, Quinn's face popped into her head, because she knew that this was wrong. She was supposed to be the new and improved, compassionate Santana, and she knew that there was unfinished business between Puck and Quinn. They'd had a baby together, they'd attempted dating, and it was because of Santana that they'd split up. She _knew_ that they needed space, and the chance to make things right again, and she _knew_ that it was right to leave them to it, ignoring her own needs.

She wasn't going to do that though. She was trying to be nicer, but she wasn't going to be some selfless soppy idiot; she was Santana Lopez, and she always got her way, eventually.

'_Puckasaurus, you busy? My bed is always open ;D' _

'_i'm on my way'_

Piece. Of. Cake.

**Glee!**

**Kurt Hummel **and Mercedes are going to the mall to quench our need to shop tirelessly. Anyone interested in tagging along? Rachel Berry, I'm thinking of you, because animal sweaters and granny skirts are so first grade.  
_Mercedes Jones likes this_

**Rachel Berry **Kurt, I do not appreciate such rude, untruthful comments!

**Quinn Fabray **He's right, you do look like you've been kept behind ten years at school...  
_Noah 'Puck' Puckerman likes this_

**Quinn Fabray **You may have 'liked' my comment Puck, but that doesn't mean I'm going to fall into your arms, so stop trying so hard.

**Finn Hudson **I'm gonna pretend that I stumbled upon this status, and that Rachel didn't just text me to tell me to defend her honour. Her animal sweaters are awesome and I happen to love her skirts, and you're just jealous that you can't pull them off, Kurt!  
_4 people like this_

**Kurt Hummel **I'm extremely jealous! I want to pull them off her every time I see them!  
_5 people like this_

**Finn Hudson **...I didn't mean it like that.

**Mercedes Jones **Finn, you're the most adorable white boy I've ever met.

**Finn Hudson **Er, thanks? :)

**Rachel Berry **Leave it Finn, you can pull them off me later if you're good ;)

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **YES get some Hudson!

**Rachel Berry **Mind your own business Noah!

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **Don't post your intimate shit on Facebook Rachel!

**Kurt Hummel **Okay, that's enough now, you're spamming my page up with vomit-inducing conversation. Oh, and just so you know Rachel, Finn just slipped and almost fell down the stairs after reading your disturbing suggestion. Are you sexually starving him? Actually, don't answer that question, I don't want to know in the slightest.

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **I do though ;D

**Rachel Berry **I'm ignoring you both now. Have fun shopping Kurt.

**Glee!**

**Rachel Berry **is extremely disappointed in her boyfriend, and isn't talking to him for the rest of the day.

**Santana Lopez **Ooh snap, has he been playing away again Berry?

**Rachel Berry **I'm also not talking to Santana for the rest of the day.

**Tina Cohen-Chang **Join the club Rachel; boyfriends suck.

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **Depends what you ask him to suck.

**Rachel Berry **Noah, you are disgusting sometimes, you know that?

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **I'm pretty sure that's why the ladies love me. That, and I have fucking awesome guns!

**Brittany **You have guns Puck? :O

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **I meant my arms Britt.

**Brittany **Oh, that makes sense, your arms are super fine!

**Finn Hudson **Awh Rach, don't be like this!

**Rachel Berry **Just to repeat myself, I'm not talking to Finn today.

**Finn Hudson **But I'm talking to you!

**Rachel Berry **...

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **What did you do this time dude? Did you fall asleep during some musical?

**Finn Hudson **I did actually -_- It's not my fault that the movie was crap! I didn't get any sleep last night either!

**Rachel Berry **My inconsiderate boyfriend didn't get any sleep because he was up all night playing on his Xbox, as usual.

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **I don't blame you Hudson, I don't know how you put up with her crazy shit.

**Rachel Berry **Don't talk about me like I'm not online!

**Finn Hudson **You're doing the same thing to me Rachel!

**Rachel Berry **That's different.

**Santana Lopez **Ugh GOD you two are so lame! The idiot fell asleep, so what? Just kiss and make up, or whatever the hell you two do, and stop clogging up my Facebook page with all your stupid whining.  
_Quinn Fabray likes this_

**Rachel Berry **Finn's not an idiot, and we're not lame! I don't know what your problem is sometimes Santana.

**Kurt Hummel **She's not getting any, that's her problem.  
_7 people like this_

**Finn Hudson **I'm sorry Rachel, for falling asleep and stuff. I'll make it up to you... ;)

**Rachel Berry **Fine, I'll see you later. You have a lot of... grovelling to do, and other things besides...

**Finn Hudson **Can't wait, I love you babe.

**Kurt Hummel **Anyone have a spare bucket I can barf in?  
_9 people like this_

**Glee!**

Santana looked at the clock and frowned with annoyance, because Puck was running late (not that she'd specified an exact time, but booty calls were supposed to be available all times of the day, and were to appear when called for). It was nerve-wracking, waiting for the person she was about to admit her feelings for. She knew she had a weird relationship with Puck, but hell, didn't she with everyone? She'd slept with Brittany countless times, and now and again the two of them shared stolen kisses, but that was just for fun... right?

Santana didn't dwell on it. She was allowed to enjoy herself, and while she loved Britt as a friend, she wasn't sure if she loved her any more than that.

She shook her head, her ponytail shaking with her, and looked at the clock impatiently when she heard a frantic pounding on her front door. She couldn't hide the smirk from her face; Puckerman was always up for some. Thankfully, her parents were out at some couple counselling shit (like really, as if they could overcome their differences), which meant that Santana could hide her sinful ways as she'd always done. _Okay,_ so she'd tried to make an effort with her mom and dad after the whole 'you're staying in your room forever!' debacle, and yeah, she could admit that since she'd tried to be civilised and nice, things had been a lot better.

Didn't mean she'd stop sleeping around though. No wait, that was a lie; she only wanted to sleep with Puck now, and that was at least _some_ kind of progress.

She sauntered over to the door, opened it slowly, then gave Puck her most seducing smile (honestly, if she used that smile she could get pretty much _anything_ from unsuspecting males) before ushering him inside. "You certainly took your time," she said sharply, though she was still smiling, because she was actually excited about spilling her guts out. "But whatever, you're just in time for the show."

Puck stuck his hands in his pockets, and with a purse of his lips, he looked straight down at his feet, rather than at Santana's boobs, which he did every time he came over. "We need to talk," he murmured, and the Latina felt like someone had just slapped her face several times. It wasn't because of the lame, clichéd phrase, but the way he said it, like he was going to tell her that he wasn't interested or something (pffft, yeah _right_).

"Oh good, because I totally need to talk with you too. Can I get you something to drink? I'm sure I can find my mom's 'secret' alcohol stash if I look hard enough." Santana headed into the living room, but was stopped by a firm, sweaty grip on her arm. She turned to look at him, and she felt her heart drop, because he wasn't even smiling; he looked conflicted.

"I'm not staying," he said briefly, _still_ not meeting her eyes.

"You have somewhere to be?" Santana asked redundantly, because yeah, she knew that wasn't the reason; he was about to break her heart, wasn't he? _If she had a heart still left to break._

"We can't do this anymore," he whispered, finally having the balls to look at her face, even if his gaze didn't linger for long. "I love Quinn, and yeah, I might actually die without sex but I want to give it a go with us... I mean Quinn, not you and me."

Santana pulled her arm out of his grasp and snarled. "Yeah dickweed, you don't need to spell it out for me." She put her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "You're a fucking idiot Puckerman. Quinn doesn't want you, and if you ever _do_ get her, she's never going to put out."

"It's not all about sex!" he yelled, throwing his hands in the air. "I love her!"

Santana wondered if Puck could hear the shattering noise in her chest, because for her, it was louder than anything she'd ever heard before. Yeah, she'd only just been made aware of her feelings for him, but it didn't make it hurt any less.

"So what am I, huh? Was I always just a piece of ass for you?"

Puck didn't even have the decency to try and deny it. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders and opened the front door, a frown on his face. "Have a good summer Santana." He slid out of the house like a slimy, skeezy snake, and Santana found herself throwing her weight against the door with a sob and a curse.

"Fuck you," she whispered as she cried into her hands. She gazed down numbly at her body, and wondered, with a sniffle and a new sense of determination, if Puck would want her if she had bigger boobs.

**Glee!**

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **hass juuust had aaa vasecotomomomyy biiiitches

**Finn Hudson** Um...

**Rachel Berry **I would like to second Finn's response. Noah, are you drunk?

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **swhat iif i am?

**Mercedes Jones **Oh boy...

**Quinn Fabray **Puck, are you serious? You had a vasectomy?

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **nooo morrre babiez coz im a dick and i LOLVE U QWUINNN

**Rachel Berry **Finn, I think you should go over and help him sober up.

**Finn Hudson **Me? Rach, I don't think that's such a great idea...

**Rachel Berry **Stop being a baby and go and help your friend. I would offer to, but I don't really have much experience of intoxicated people, never mind people such as Noah.

**Quinn Fabray **What's that supposed to mean man hands?

**Finn Hudson **Hey, Quinn, lay off Rachel!

**Quinn Fabray **Sorry, old reflex.

**Rachel Berry **That's okay...

**Finn Hudson **Fine, babe, I'll go and keep an eye on him, but what if he's like, naked or something?

**Rachel Berry **Why would he be naked?

**Quinn Fabray **Oh Rachel, you are so naive.

**Rachel Berry **And that's supposed to mean?

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **the ppuckertrainn doessnt luike tooo be restrictedd by clkothes!

**Rachel Berry **Oh my word.  
_6 people like his_

**Finn Hudson **Great. Well, I'll let you know if I make it out alive, okay?

**Rachel Berry **Be careful Finn, and I love you!

**Finn Hudson **Love you too Rach :)

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **i lloove youu guyyys

**Rachel Berry ***polite cough*

**Glee!**

Finn hated Rachel sometimes.

Shit, no, that was a lie, 'cause yeah, he'd get mad at some of her crazy suggestions, but he never actually _hated _her.

Maybe today was an exception though, 'cause he totally wasn't ready to deal with a drunk Puck. It wasn't like it was his first time, but with all the Quinn stuff, they _still_ weren't best friends, not like they had been.

But that was okay. They were getting there, which was kind of cool, and now that he had Rachel for keeps, he was finding it a lot easier to forgive his friend because, at the end of the day, it wasn't like he'd slept with Rachel, right? Quinn was just a thing in the past, and weirdly, it didn't bother him anymore. Huh.

He banged on the door a few times, not that he expected a reply, and when he was sure he could hear a drunken rendition of I Will Always Love You coming from Puck's room, Finn decided to let himself in. The door was unlocked, which was a relief, and after pushing it open and calling out for his mom, he realised that Puck was home alone, which helped; she always got ultra pissed when Puck was, well, pissed.

"Puckerman?" Finn climbed the stairs warily, holding a cup of coffee in one hand, a bottle of water stashed in his jacket pocket.

"Dad, is that you?"

Finn rolled his eyes; some things never changed, like how drunk Puck would always mistake him for his dad. "No, it's Finn, Finn Hudson." He walked into Puck's room, and grimaced when he found the dude completely naked. "Great."

"Finny Deeeeeeee!" Puck slurred, a wobbly grin spreading across his face, "dude, I haven't talked to you in aaaaaages." He stood up, giving Finn an eyeful of his junk, and started walking towards him with his arms spread wide, though he stumbled and ended up falling over his own feet. "Hahaha, fuuuuck."

Finn placed the coffee on a small table, and with a wrinkle of his nose, he started rooting through Puck's dresser, trying to locate a pair of boxers or sweats or _anything_. "Here, put these on," he said with exasperation, tossing some pants at the naked guy on the floor. "You really had a vasectomy?" Finn asked, but he didn't really expect a coherent answer. "That's like, proper surgery, right? 'Cause aren't you... well, not supposed to drink after surgery?" Crap, he _totally_ didn't need Puck to die, 'cause that would be all kinds of suckage.

"Like I give a..." He looked up at Finn in confusion as he bit his lip.

"Crap?" suggested Finn, to which Puck nodded.

"Right, like I give a CRAP what the..."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Doctors?"

"Like I give a crap what the doctors say. I'm..." He hung his head in his hands, which made him look really pathetic.

"You're a douche, but what's new? Come on, put on your sweats and you can have this coffee that I got you."

Puck nodded, but when it came to actually dressing himself, he had a lot of trouble, especially since he couldn't stop wincing and cursing and, while totally freaking Finn out, he let out a few tears. "I can't, it hurts."

Finn reiterated; he hated Rachel sometimes.

_Man up Hudson, this guy used to be your best friend. He's just naked, and you just have to help dress him, without hurting his stuff, and you just have to make sure he doesn't pass out and die, alright?_

Finn pulled the pants on slowly, and as he brought the fabric over Puck's groin, he was extra careful, 'cause he wasn't sure how much it actually hurt. A vasectomy involved something _inside_ a guy, but did it mean that he was like, sore _outside? _Whatever, he didn't really wanna dwell on the state of Puck's dick for too long because it was embarrassing and wrong in so many ways.

"Here, drink this, but watch out 'cause it's hot." Finn handed Puck the cup of coffee, and his ex-best friend slowly sipped at it, making murmuring noises as he drank. Finn flopped against the bedroom wall, letting his head hang back as a sigh escaped his lips. While Puck was busy with his drink, Finn pulled his cell from his pocket.

'_puck was naked and a mess; u owe me berry'_

Not even a minute later, a message appeared on his screen.

'_Don't worry about that Mr Hudson, I'm making sugar cookies as we speak. If I could pull it off, I'd tell you to expect a little sugar from me too, but we both know that I can't rock the cool, witty vibe. Rachel x'_

Finn grinned like a lunatic because man, Rachel was all kinds of adorable.

'_feel free to give me sugar anytime u want babe ;) x'_

"Hudson." Finn looked away from his cell at across at Puck, who seemed to have sobered up amazingly quickly (was that all just an act? Whatever).

"Yeah?"

Puck looked awkwardly at him before he gave a small nod. "Thanks."

"No problem dude."

They didn't say much after that. Puck fell asleep on the floor, and Finn, not wanting to abandon the guy, decided to stick around, even though he really didn't have to.

He looked absentmindedly around the room, and realised how much he missed their bromance. He loved that Rachel was his new best friend, he had no trouble admitting that, but he still missed the days when he could moan to Puck about how much of a tease Quinn was, and how much her Cheerios' uniform turned him on (not that it was the case anymore, but Finn hadn't had the chance to complain about how much of a tease Rachel was, and how much her skirts _really_ turned him on).

Finn toyed with his cell, trying to think about what he was supposed to do next. It would be so easy to pretend that this hadn't happened, 'cause Puck would probably forget about it in his drunken stupor, and then Finn would be able to go back to hating the guy.

Then again, it would be so easy to forgive him, to move on, and to have his friend back. No one was perfect, Finn could vouch for that for himself, and apart from the one douchey move of knocking up his ex, Puck hadn't screwed Finn over before (apart from when they were playing Halo, but Puck was always a sore loser).

When he was sure that he was asleep for good, Finn left the house quietly, feeling like the bigger man (in a metaphorical sense, 'cause he was always the bigger man when it came down to size). Yeah, he was gonna forgive Puck, though how he was gonna let him _know_ that... whatever, he could definitely work on that.

'_i've tucked baby puck into bed, so i guess i'll just go home..._'

'_Is that supposed to be a not-so-subtle way of asking me to invite you over? Rachel x_'

'_wat? no, that's crazy. but if ur offering..._'

'_The cookies are waiting; please bring your appetite and your adorable smile. Rachel x_'

**A/N:** Hello strangers, I'm back! (I'll reply to all of your old reviews as soon as I can ^^). Now I'm going to try and update on a regular basis again because I've been hit with new inspiration, and I want to use it while I can. If any of you are following My Gift is My Song fic, I'll be updating that too since I have a few chapters already written.

Since a few people have asked, now that the glee club vacation is over, I'm still going to continue with this fic, because that's definitely not the end. While I catch up with season two, I'm going to start foreshadowing what happens, but from my own perspective so that I'm not just blatantly re-writing the episodes (and obviously, Rachel knows about Finn, and Emma's currently dating Will, etc etc).

Oh, and one more thing before I go; is the Facebook thing really lame? It's quite a popular format for fics, and I needed a way to update on the rest of the glee club, you know? Anyway, if people actually like it, I'll include more snippets in the future, so please, leave me your opinion in a review and I'll see what the consensus is. Thanks for being amazing! x


	29. Chapter 29

Rachel Berry prided herself on many things. She was talented (in more ways than one), she was honest, she was committed to her extracurricular activities, and amongst countless other fine attributes, she was strong.

She wasn't feeling strong today though.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, a wad of tissues clasped firmly in her shaking fingers, Rachel couldn't stop crying over Rosie, the girl who had drowned during their vacation. A few weeks had passed since the ordeal, and though it seemed that everyone else in glee club had moved on from the accident, Rachel found it physically impossible to forget every little detail of the tragic event. Of course, her daddy had tried to reassure her many times over that it wasn't her fault that the girl had died, and to an extent, Rachel believed him. However, it was on lonely nights, when the rain pelted fiercely against the roof, and the wind whistled against her window, that she felt completely and utterly alone, and she felt every stab of guilt like a shot to the heart.

Rachel sniffed and pressed a tissue to her eyes. Melodramatic; that should have been her middle name. She wasn't trying to be the hero, and she wasn't trying to gain sympathy after everything that had happened; all she wanted was forgiveness and closure, yet no one could forgive her when they refused to accept that she was to blame.

As she fluffed up her pillow and pressed her damp, stained cheek to the fabric, Rachel thought of Finn, like she did every night before bed. In some twisted, indescribable way, it felt like she was being unfaithful to him, and this only aided her nightly torment. Finn was her boyfriend, and as such, she was supposed to open up to him, wasn't she?

In her defence, she opened up to him a _lot_, though always omitted her feelings about the vacation. Though they'd had their ups and downs, Rachel knew that Finn saw the vacation as a positive, perfect thing, and whenever Finn called to wish her goodnight, she'd simply put on her brave voice, tell him that she loved him, then cried herself to sleep, waking up a few times with a recurring nightmare.

She was at her wits' end. Even though she had so many people to talk to, Rachel felt like she had _no one_ to talk to, because no one could understand how she was feeling, not really. She'd half hoped that Tina would reach out over their shared experience, but it seemed that she'd adjusted to normality without any problems. Besides, Tina wasn't responsible for not helping the girl, so why would she be suffering like Rachel?

Her bedroom window shot open, and with a feeble scream, Rachel hid herself under her duvet, her whole body shaking with fright. She knew that hiding away was probably the wrong course of action if the intruder was some crazed serial killer out for her virgin blood, but all reason went out of the window (literally) as Rachel heard a familiar scowl.

"Oh _please_ Berry, I've seen your childish pyjamas before so don't bother being embarrassed."

Rachel peered out of her bed and felt a surprised frown rest upon her eyebrows. "S-Santana?"

The girl in question shrugged nonchalantly. "You not allowed friends over?"

Both girls seemed to recoil at her choice of words; Santana and Rachel had never _ever_ been friends.

"No, I suppose I am but..." Rachel sat up slightly and looked over at her bedside clock; it was nearly midnight. "Could you keep it down? My dads wouldn't really approve, and..." She looked back at Santana and frowned once more, wrinkling her nose slightly as she did so. "Why are you here? If this is some practical joke then please, just get it over with before I go to sleep because I need to maintain a regular schedule to keep my body functioning effectively." Rachel scrunched her eyes shut and dug her fingers into her blanket before taking a deep, anticipated breath. Instead of water balloons crashing against her face (frankly, water balloons would be a relief; she'd heard of the infamous 'pee balloons' that the football team specialised in, and that was something she definitely didn't want to experience firsthand), she instead felt the bed dip slightly. She opened one eye cautiously, and (mentally) furrowed her brow; Santana was sitting beside her, staring at her like she was important.

"Have you been crying?" the Latina asked matter-of-factly.

Rachel rubbed at her eyes and shook her head. "No, but I've been trying this new moisturising cream that has been wreaking havoc on my skin." She feigned a smile, but it was clear from Santana's expression that her lie was pretty poor.

"What's up Berry?" Santana pursed her lips as she looked Rachel up and down, noting the bright orange pyjamas and the sore, puffy skin around her eyes. "I'm going to give you five minutes to get whatever it is off your chest because I need to talk to you, and it's related to something that's on my chest," she paused and smirked humorously, "or something that isn't yet, but might be soon."

**Glee!**

It was the old cliché, but it didn't lessen the truth behind it. Little girls were supposed to dream of the 'biggest day of their lives', the day when it was acceptable to dress like a fairytale princess as you exchanged vows with your fairytale prince in church, God smiling down on the union.

Quinn had neglected church, and for that, she was slightly regretful. As she flicked through old wedding magazines, left behind after her sister had gotten married and had been whisked away into a life of complete ordinariness, she found herself smiling absentmindedly at the pretty gowns and the beautiful brides. It didn't matter if the women were professional models, paid to look like they were happy; in Quinn's mind, they _were_ happy.

She was one of the girls who had been planning her wedding since she was six years old, actually. Quinn had fallen in love with the idea of love, and had fallen in love with the dresses, and had fallen in love with the concept of one day being so, _so _important. When she'd been six years old though, she hadn't envisioned herself to be the girl she was now, a girl who'd cheated on her boyfriend, a girl who'd gotten pregnant by his best friend, a girl who'd given birth and abandoned the baby. Now though, anything related to fairytales and happiness... well, they just seemed like impossibilities, for her at least.

She slumped against her bed, holding her little lamb in her hands while she softly stroked its worn, furry head; she couldn't believe it was so late, or that she was still awake. Quinn had had a rough day (sure, most days were rough but today had been _just_ that much worse). She'd woken up, still half asleep, and with a yawn and a coo, she'd kissed the top of her lamb's head before whispering "Good morning Beth."

Five minutes later, as her lamb sat crumpled against her bedroom door, Quinn had decided to attend the Sunday service at her church, positive that her confusion was related to a lack of meaning and religious guidance in her life. Once she was washed, dressed, and slightly more stable (she'd only needed ten minutes to rid herself of all of her tears), Quinn had asked her mom to take her to church, and the two of them drove in near silence, now and again chatting over the unimpressive weather.

Quinn was thankful for small mercies, though it wasn't as if she had a lot to be thankful for anymore. One of these mercies? Thank goodness Puck was a Jew; at least there wasn't any chance that she'd bump into him during the hymn service.

"What made you want to attend this morning, honey?" asked her mom as they made their way into the church. Quinn looked around at the pews of the once familiar building, and with a small sigh, she gave a wordless shrug; she wasn't going into it now.

The service started, the priest began his sermon, and with a heavy heart, Quinn realised that she hadn't taken in a word that had been said. Instead, she studied the congregation intently, trying to remember names and faces from a time when the only person she'd loved was Jesus. She smiled at Mrs Miller, the nearly-deaf old woman from down her street, and managed a slight nod at Mr Williams (or was it Mr Weston? She couldn't remember at all), the man who used to look after the garden for the Fabrays.

Quinn's eyes focused on a boy who she'd never seen before. As everyone rose to join in with the hymns, she found herself staring at his bright blonde hair, and the way his mouth, overly large and charismatic, struggled to sing along with the rest of the church. Quinn bit her lip to hide a smile, and when she felt a gentle nudge from her mom, she returned to her hymn book, quietly singing about her love for a God she'd somehow misplaced.

"That's the son of the Evans family," her mom whispered once the sound of the organ had died out.

Quinn looked up at her with an inquisitive eyebrow raised. "The Evans family?"

Her mom nodded, glancing in the boy's direction. "They're new to the town. I only know of them because that Janice woman over at the store wouldn't stop _gossiping _about it all." Quinn's mouth twitched with the need to smile at the irony; _all _her mom did was gossip. "His name might be Sam, or something beginning with S. Maybe you should introduce yourself Quinny, he could probably use a friend."

The rest of the service was nothing special. After the usual prayer dedications, confirmations and general parish notices, the congregation began to disperse, and Quinn found herself hurrying towards Sam Evans (if that was really his name).

"Hi, excuse me?" As everyone began to leave, Quinn placed a hesitant hand on the new boy's arm, which made him jump out of shock (so endearing, and yet she couldn't really place why). "You're new around here, aren't you?"

The boy's mouth opened and closed a few times before he managed a friendly smile. "Uh, yeah, I'm Sam." He stuck his hand out, and with a small laugh, Quinn noticed that he was shaking. "Sam I am, and I don't like green eggs and ham."

Quinn shook her head with a grin before taking his hand. "I'm Quinn, Quinn Fabray."

Sam gave her a crooked smile, and as he stared unashamedly at her eyes, he nodded. "Want to go get some ice cream?"

**Glee!**

"So you're thinking about, um... getting a boob job?"

Santana rolled her eyes. "There's no need to sound so judgemental. So what? It's not a big deal anymore, and people have it done all the time." She tightened her pony tail as she stared at Rachel, who was looking more uncomfortable by the second.

"But you're so..."

Rachel trailed off, leaving room for Santana to fire up her frustration. "So _what_, Berry? I _dare_ you to finish that sentence with an insult."

Rachel gulped as her eyes widened; she couldn't believe she was actually doing this. "You're so _perfect_, Santana, and I don't see why you'd want to surgically enhance your body when you're already the undisputed hottest girl in school." She covered her eyes with her hands, because no doubt the girl in front of her would take it as some twisted putdown.

A minute passed in silence, and cautiously, Rachel moved her hands and gasped, because Santana Lopez, queen bitch and one of the most popular people at McKinley, was crying. What had she said to offend her?

"Santana, I'm sorry if-"

"You think I'm perfect?" the Latina girl asked. Her voice was completely normal, if a little snappy, though it was easy to hear her honesty too.

Rachel nodded slowly, still frightened that Santana was going to rip her throat out. "I can't believe you'd even question that."

_I wish Finn were here right now. He knows how to talk to cheerleaders, and-_

She clenched her jaw; why was she even being nice to this girl? It was no secret that Santana Lopez had made it her mission to torture Rachel in and out of school, and not _only_ that, she'd taken Finn's virginity, and though Rachel had been forced to accept that, it still made her incredibly jealous and frustrated.

"Actually, a breast enlargement sounds like a really _good_ idea," Rachel said coolly, working her poker face as best she could.

Santana frowned and rubbed her eyes, removing any trace of emotion that had lingered there before. "What?"

"Sure, it may seem a little premature, considering our bodies are still growing, and..." Rachel hung her head in her hands with a stifled groan. "No, of _course_ you shouldn't have this done!" She looked up guiltily at Santana, who wore an expression of confusion (and a little hostility). "Santana, you're beautiful, and I don't know why you'd even think about altering your body so drastically."

Santana shimmied her head. "You wouldn't understand."

"Then try me," whispered Rachel firmly. She couldn't pretend to like Santana, but she could definitely make the effort, especially since they were part of the same glee family. Besides, even if she wasn't the Cheerio's biggest fan, Rachel was strongly against plastic surgery, especially in girls so young (she was _never_ going to conform to society, despite her overly large nose).

Santana rolled her eyes with a scowl. "Berry, you are such a pain in the ass."

"Tell me something I don't know," said Rachel with a shrug. "Why wouldn't I understand?"

"Because your boy isn't a complete _dick!_" Santana bounced off of Rachel's bed and threw her hands in the air as her cheeks flooded with an angry shade of red. "Because your boy loves you for _you_, and not just your body, which is a good thing, 'cause I had bigger boobs when I was seven."

Rachel winced as her lip wobbled defensively; this was the Santana that she was familiar with. Still, they were getting somewhere, and even if she had to be insulted to get to the truth, Rachel wanted the chance to help her fellow glee club member. "Who are you talking about?"

Santana laughed, but it was completely void of humour. "We are _not_ having this discussion. In fact, I don't know why I came here in the first fucking place. Thanks for nothing Yentl." She made her way to the window, and was about to disappear the way she came when she felt Rachel's fingers clasp around her wrist. She turned and snarled in the girl's face, pulling the scariest face she could muster; Rachel didn't even flinch.

"I want to help, I really do." She loosened her grip and brushed a piece of hair behind her ear self consciously. "I've had so many issues with my body over the years that I can definitely sympathise."

Santana blanched with an onslaught of guilt; most of those issues were probably the Cheerio's fault. "Whatever," she spat defensively, "you think you can help me? I bet you haven't even reached second base, so what do _you _know about relationships?"

"Stop being such a... such a..." Rachel clenched her jaw and rolled her hands into fists. "Such a b-b-bitch!"

Santana's mouth fell open in surprise. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," Rachel said darkly. "I want to help, and yet you're _determined_ to push me away. There must be a reason you came to my house instead of Brittany's, or Quinn's, or Noah's." Rachel didn't miss the way that Santana's eyes shimmered at the mention of Puck, and she knew there and then what the problem was. "It's Noah, isn't it?" she asked softly. Santana snorted, but didn't deny it, and Rachel pressed a careful hand against her arm. "Do you want me to make you some hot chocolate?"

Santana gulped and shrugged. "Do you have any vodka?"

**Glee!**

Quinn _still _couldn't sleep. Her head was filled with thoughts of boys boys boys and _boys_, which wasn't really helping her drift into a peaceful slumber. With a sigh, she focused on the day's events, reliving her experience with the new kid.

_Quinn poked at her strawberry ice cream with her spoon, which Sam had graciously paid for. Every now and again, she'd glance up at the new boy, and when she caught him staring, she'd give a tiny, bashful smile, and they'd fall into a simple silence once more. _

"_I'm sorry, I'm distracted today," she said apologetically._

"_S'okay, really. This was really awesome of you to do this with me." He swallowed a large spoonful of chocolate ice cream, then winced and laughed as he pressed a hand to his head. "It's cold!"_

_Quinn rolled her eyes playfully. "That's kind of the point, and anyway, you're the one who paid, so it's really awesome of _you_ to do this with _me_." She flicked her hair to the side as she finished her bowl, and cocked her head as she watched him. "So, Sam, tell me a bit about yourself. All I know is that you like chocolate ice cream, you're a Christian, and you have a really nice smile." She pursed her lips; and she'd said that _why_?_

"_Um, I'm not really religious," Sam admitted bashfully. "My mom's trying to fit in with the people around here, and she kind of made me tag along. But uh, let's see..." He blew his hair out of his face and then shrugged. "I like comic books, and I can play the guitar, and I... You know, you have the prettiest eyes I've ever seen."_

Quinn sighed out loud, still stroking her lamb. The more she listened to what Sam had to say, the more she'd felt _something_, and that something was the possibility to be happy. She distinctly remembered admiring their reflection in the parlour window as they'd left, and she distinctly remembered being _impressed_ by what she saw; they looked hot together. And, the more he told her about himself, the more she found herself warming to his dorkiness and his general... well, _niceness_. In a strange way, he reminded her of Finn, and yes, at one point in her life, she'd loved Finn, so that was definitely a bonus.

In a split second, Quinn was able to predict what would happen if she dated Sam; perfection. There would be duets and promise rings and _happiness,_ and Quinn knew that she'd be content.

She'd wished Sam farewell, promised to meet up with him soon, and when he reached for her hand (probably to kiss it; he was sweet like that), she waved at him before disappearing quickly; she didn't want anything more than friendship because she didn't want anyone other than Puck.

Problem was, she wasn't _really_ sure she wanted Puck...

...yet.

**Glee!**

Dear Journal,

I still can't get used to this, and I still can't read my own writing half the time, but I need to get something off of my chest. Rachel said that the whole point of writing in a journal (I refuse to call it a diary) is so I can 'catalogue my past experiences for future enjoyment when we're old and married', but right now that seems like the dumbest thing in the world. Rachel might get enjoyment from reading all about her high school experiences but once I've left this dump of a town, I don't wanna relive the shittiest part of my life.

No, the way I look at it, I can let off steam about things that are bothering me without being judged. My mom always says she's there for me, and I know that, but she's not exactly the first person that springs to mind when I'm having, you know, _dude_ troubles. She says I can tell her anything, but how much experience does she have about dating girls? None, so that wouldn't work.

Puck's sometimes got my back now that we're on the road to finally becoming friends again, but I wouldn't feel comfortable telling him about how I cry sometimes when I go to sleep. It's stupid and everything, but some nights I feel like I miss my dad more than I should. Hell, I never even met the guy, but things just _get_ to me, you know? Puck would probably just laugh at me for a while before telling everyone he knows, and I'm not cool with that.

Then there's Mr Schue. He's a really cool teacher, and more like a father figure than anyone I've ever known, but... It's weird, I told him about Quinn and the baby stuff straight away, but since then, I feel like we've grown apart. I know it sounds dumb when I say that I've grown away from my Spanish teacher, but recently I feel like he's drifted apart from all of us, not just me. He has his own crappy problems, and I don't wanna give him anything else to worry about.

I'm more at ease with Kurt now since we're living together and everything (it still sounds weird when I say that), but again, he's not the kind of guy I can open up to about stuff. He listened in our ballad assignment a few months ago, but man, I must have been a different person then, 'cause the current me feels like that's way out of the question. The same with the rest of the glee club. Matt and Mike are okay for a laugh, and Artie's cool and everything, but I don't know them well enough to share my deepest secrets... not that I have any or anything, but you get the picture.

And lastly, there's Rachel. I feel kinda guilty writing this, but even with her, I can't always be myself. Sure, I love her like crazy and I'd do anything for her, but there are just _some_ things that I would be embarrassed about telling her. She's really cool with embarrassing stuff though, don't get me wrong. She's seen me cry a few times now, and she totally didn't freak out, but I don't wanna drive her away with the crazy things, you know? I'm frightened that one day she'll hear something that scares her, and she'll leave me, and there's no way I can deal with that.

Where the hell was I? I think I need to read this thing again... Oh wait, I remember now. This journal is the place where I don't have to hide and stuff, which is a really good thing. Maybe Rachel knew this, and just lied about having a keepsake 'cause she's smart like that.

It happened today, the thing that made me tear up like a baby. You see, I broke something that can never be fixed or replaced, and it kills me to just even think about it right now.

It was a gift I got from my Aunt Hazel. She was my dad's sister, and my Aunt was a big part of my life when I was younger. She was like a second mom to me sometimes, and God, I loved her. She was fun and sporty and even though she could be as scary as hell when I misbehaved, she had a heart of gold.

She died when I was eight. I used to go round to her house every Friday night. My mom would drop me off, I'd sleep over, and then Saturday afternoon my Aunt Hazel would bring me home. I remember it so fucking clearly. I had my bag packed with some new baseball cards I wanted to show her, and I remember putting it beside the front door like I always did, waiting for my mom to put it in the car like she always did. I ran to the bathroom to go pee before I left, and when I came down, my backpack was gone. I went to grab a few things from the living room, and there it was, placed on my dad's chair.

I thought nothing of it. I put it back beside the door, headed into the kitchen to get something to eat, and when I came back, my mom was carrying my bag upstairs. I couldn't see her face, but I could hear her crying, and I knew that Aunt Hazel had died.

It was a heart attack, or a stroke, or something just as meaningless and quick. That was the first funeral I ever went to.

God, I'm getting off track again and I _really_ don't need to be getting upset. See, on one of many Saturdays with my Aunt, she gave me this lame ass present that I hated at the time. It was a white porcelain dog figure that came with a selection of brightly coloured paints.

"You paint it however you want," I can remember her saying. She always wore a crazy half smile when she gave me things like that. "You could paint it like a rainbow, or you could give it glasses and a moustache, or..." I don't remember the rest. I didn't pay as much attention as I should have, 'cause man, I really hated it. I don't know why to be honest. I have nothing against dogs, and actually, I've always wanted my own pet dog, so I don't know why I took offence to it. I promised to paint it when I got home, but secretly I wanted to throw it in the trash as soon as I could.

But I didn't. My mom was working, so I sat in my room alone, staring at this little dog that fit nicely in my hands. I'm not artistic in the slightest (I can barely draw a stick figure), but somehow, I managed to paint it. I didn't have a real idea in mind, so I just covered it in all kinds of colours, left it to dry, and then hid it away so my mom wouldn't see it.

I found it after the funeral. I was rooting around my room for my favourite socks when I found it hidden in an old cardboard box. The colours looked messy and it way too happy, so I grabbed a permanent black marker, and I went to town on that thing. I coloured in every single bit of that damn dog with tears in my eyes, because that's how I felt, like dark and miserable and stuff.

It somehow ended up living on my bedside table next to my clock and some other crap. It was just a black dog, and my Aunt had given me other awesome keepsakes over the years, but I dunno, I couldn't put it away. It had been there ever since that day, and when we moved in with the Hummels, it lived next to my new bed until...

I can't believe I did it. You know how people always wanna change the past? When people are like 'oh, I should have done that thing differently'? I know what they mean. Hell, I've had a lot of things go wrong in my life that I've wanted to change, but this one was so simple, so fucking simple.

My clock had been acting up. It was electric, so I didn't need to change the batteries or anything, but I thought that maybe it was a wiring problem (not that I know how to fix electronic stuff), so I picked it up to take a look, not realising that the cable ran underneath my dog. I picked the clock up and the dog went flying, straight into my wall and straight to the floor in pieces. I called out in shock, not really believing what had happened. I went looking for glue, but the only stuff we had was this really crappy cheap shit, and I kept pressing the pieces of the dog together, _willing_ the damn thing to stick, and it wouldn't.

It's not about how many gifts I kept from my Aunt after she died. I could have easily put something else in the dog's place, from an old cologne bottle to a 'world's best nephew' trophy. But I can't, because my dog is supposed to stand there.

I can't tell Rachel, because she'll never understand, even though she'll say she does. She tries too hard to understand a lot of the time, but this is different. This is really personal for me, and I can't tell a _fucking_ soul, because who gives a crap anyway? All I can do is apologise to my Aunt Hazel, and she's dead.

She's dead. My dog's dead.

Finn Hudson out.

**Glee!**

"Finn?"

"Hey Rach. Look, I'm sorry that it's like... God, I'm _really_ sorry that it's late, and I'm sorry that I woke you up, but-"

"You didn't wake me up, and it's fine. What's wrong?"

"..."

"Finn, you're scaring me. Has something-"

"Can you come over? Shit, look, I just, I feel like I _need_-"

"Give me five minutes to get ready and I'll be over as soon as I can."

"Rachel, you don't need to, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have called..."

"I'm still coming over."

"I love you."

"I love you too. You can tell me all about it when I get there."

"Drive careful, 'kay?"

"Of course. Bye Finn."

"Bye Rach."

**Glee!**

Finn waited anxiously by the front door of the house, constantly checking his cell for the inevitable 'Sorry Finn, it's actually too late' message from Rachel. He shouldn't have called her! God, seriously, he had to think things through more often 'cause it was nearly two in the fucking morning, and he knew for a fact that Rachel went to bed at eleven every night.

Car lights in the drive made him jump, and as he peered through the window, Finn felt a lump appear in his throat as his small, awesome girlfriend practically sprinted to the door. Before she had time to knock (he didn't want his mom to know that she was over so late), he let her in with a finger to his lips, to which she gave a quick nod before taking his hand and leading him up to his room; if he hadn't been so upset about the dog, he knew, without a doubt, that he'd be trying to hide the uncomfortable tent in his pyjama pants right now (come on, Rachel was pulling him into his room at two in the frickin' morning!).

When his bedroom door was closed, and when he was sure that no one else was up, Finn looked at Rachel regretfully, his eyes all wide and sad. "I shouldn't have called you Rach, and _you_ shouldn't have come."

Rachel tutted under her breath. "In case you haven't noticed, I wear the metaphorical pants in this relationship, and _I'll_ decide what I do thank you very much." She folded her arms with a huff and began to tap her foot impatiently on the floor. "So, why did you summon me at two in the morning?"

Finn shifted awkwardly where he stood, not quite meeting her gaze. "You're gonna think I'm being stupid..." Rachel prodded him sharply in the chest at this comment, and he winced in response. "Ouch, what was that for?"

"You're not stupid, and I'll never think you're stupid, so please refrain from saying that." Finn glared down at her, and her expression softened slightly. "You can call me at any time of the day, and I'll always come over, unless I'm in the middle of my ballet class, but you could always call my dance instructor." She pressed a finger to her mouth in thought. "Actually, maybe I should give you the contact details of all of the people I deal with in case you need to reach me in an emergency..."

"Yeah, okay, well let's sort that out another time," said Finn with a brief smirk. "I really appreciate this, by the way." He shrugged a little. "You just being here makes things feel better, you know?"

Rachel smoothed out his pyjama shirt before placing a tender kiss to his throat. "I'm glad I can help." She smiled up at him, and as one hand carefully stroked his cheek, she whispered, "If you don't want to tell me what's bothering you, you don't have to. I... I understand that there may be some things you don't want to include me in, and... And I'm okay with that," she nodded warily, "honestly."

Finn knew that it wasn't okay. Even though she was trying her best to be supportive, he knew that she didn't like that he had secrets he didn't share with her; that was an adorable yet slightly frustrating thing about Rachel Berry. Therefore, he had a decision to make; if he cut her out of his past, like the stuff about a younger Finn and an innocent Finn, then how could ever be _truly_ happy with her, you know?

"You need to read my journal," Finn mumbled; it sounded even girlier out loud.

Rachel's eyes widened as a smile pulled at her lips. "You've been using it?"

"Yeah," Finn said with a frown. "That's what you wanted though, right? I thought that was the point of it?"

Rachel let out a tiny laugh. "Yes, that was the point of it, but I didn't expect you to embrace the idea; I'm glad you have." She bit her lip and pressed her cheek against Finn's chest, her hands resting on his stomach. "Are you sure? Journals are very personal."

"'Course," he said, and Finn shocked himself at how confident he was about this, "I want you to read it, but like, only the one that's relevant for today, if that's okay? It's late and I haven't written much..."

Rachel, feeling drowsy as the steady rhythm of Finn's heart pounded in her ears, hummed in acknowledgement.

**Glee!**

Dear Journal,

It's late and I'm not in the mood to write a load of pages right now, but I let Rachel read the story about the dog. When she'd finished, she didn't laugh, but she disappeared without a word, and I thought she was gonna leave. She came back five minutes later with a roll of tape, and with this adorable determined look on her face, she taped the dog back together again. It looked really bad, and more like a mummified dog than anything, but when she was finished, and when she presented it to me with this really _bright_ smile on her face, it was like, I dunno, I was reminded of how much I love her, you know?

God, I wish she could have stayed the night, but I was kind of worried that Burt would get mad and kick me out or something, so she left (after a heavy make out session!) and then I just _stared_ at this mummy dog, and I just smiled all night.

Well, not all night 'cause I fell asleep after that, but still, moral of the story and stuff; Rachel Berry is fucking amazing.

Finny D out.

**A/N: ** Warning; long author's note to follow :P

Firstly, I'm sorry that I've been an absent author! I meant to update sooner, but yeah, things get in the way as always (I kind of got distracted writing Finchel one-shots...)

Secondly, I have a question for you guys; are you still reading this fic? This is pretty pointless if you're not since you won't see this note, but I'm very aware that I'm nearing 30 chapters, and I'm just curious as to how many people are still interested in this fic. Nearly two hundred people have Jigsaw on alert (I know, it's insane, I can hardly believe it), so yes, if you're still reading the new chapters, I'd appreciate it if you could leave a review to tell me! Do you still want me to continue with this fic? I have a lot planned out for the future, but if no one's interested anymore, then it's pretty pointless haha.

Thirdly yes, I know that the characters and storylines are all over the place in this fic at the minute, but I _promise_ I know what I'm doing xD I have so many characters to write about that it may seem like I'm drowning, but like I said, I know what I'm doing, so please bear with me.

Fourthly, (though this is pretty irrelevant right now) I've been working on a Glee future fic that I'm hoping to publish soon. Think Finn the bar-owning celebrity and Rachel the wanna-be star, and that's basically it ;) Hopefully the first chapter will be up asap!

Fifthly, thank you. Nearly 600 reviews, and I'm grateful for every single one of them; you are all amazing, and I can never thank you all enough.

**Again, please let me know if you still read Jigsaw, and if you want me to carry on writing; it would really help, and thanks again!**


	30. Chapter 30

Santana pursed her lips and toyed with the cell phone in her hands, absentmindedly flipping it open then closing it again, ignoring its frantic warnings of a low battery. Her summer was _fantastic_ so far, and that was her taking her sarcastic tendencies to the extreme. Literally, it sucked _ass_ for a whole bunch of boring reasons, but her main annoyance was freaking Puck of all people. Before the Quinn drama, Santana had had him wrapped around her little finger, and he'd just been another fuck buddy in a long line of fuck buddies. Now that she actually wanted some more, and now that he didn't want anything to do with her? He was even _hotter_; wanting what she couldn't have was one of Santana's fatal flaws.

She let out a bored sigh and checked the time; any second now...

Her cell began to buzz, and with a mixture of a scowl and a laugh, Santana answered the call. "Berry."

"_Hello Santana, I didn't disturb you did I?"_

She rolled her eyes. "You ask me every time and I always tell you the same thing; if you were disturbing me, I wouldn't answer the fucking phone." She rolled her eyes again for good measure.

"_You're hurting a lot today, aren't you?" _asked Rachel quietly, and Santana found herself unable to bite back with some witty reply. "_Want me to come over?"_

"No, I'm good, thanks."

In the background, Santana could hear Finn mumbling something, and she had to strain her ears to listen to what he was saying. _"Is that Santana you're talking to again? Can't you just tell her to call back later, babe?"_

"Tell Hudson he's right, I'll talk to you tonight Berry."

"_It's okay, Finn's just being a bit needy, and you can call me Rachel you know, I won't tell anyone."_

Santana smirked, wrapping a piece of hair around her finger. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind man hands." The other end of the phone remained silent. "I didn't mean that Berry ...Rachel. Your hands are okay."

"_They're okay?"_ Rachel squeaked.

"Yeah, they're okay."

**Glee!**

Asian camp. Asian camp. Asian camp.

Artie groaned into his hands as he threw down his Xbox controller; he couldn't concentrate on Halo at all, especially since he hadn't seen Tina in _forever_.

Technically speaking, he'd seen her six days previous, but with his mom constantly asking how Tina was doing, Artie couldn't shake the feeling off that he was getting cast to one side in favour of Mike Chang.

No, he was being paranoid, of _course_, because Tina was allowed to have her own hobbies and interests, and if being Asian and proud counted as a pastime then why should he ruin her fun? Besides, there was no point worrying over their relationship when she wasn't doing the same, or at least, that's what Artie told himself as he carried on with his game; they were fine, they were fine, they were fine.

**Glee!**

Finn scrambled to force his key into the door of the Hummels' house, desperate to slip in unnoticed (he really needed to learn how to work the damn lock). He knew, before he'd even glanced at the clock, that he was late for dinner 'cause recently he was _always _late thanks to Rachel. It wasn't that she demanded him to stay with her all hours of the day, but after the crap that they'd been through on vacation, Finn had suddenly become all kinds of clingy; Rachel had no idea that he missed dinner every night to be with her.

Out of some kind of morbid curiosity, Finn took a fleeting look at the clock, only to find he was much later than he'd thought, and he was kind of nervous that his mom would be disappointed for the first time ever. He knew, before he'd even made his way into the dining room, that everyone would be sitting around the table, eating the food that he was supposed to be eating too, and whatever it was, it smelt _delicious. _He shuffled in nervously with his head hung in shame and his stomach rumbling in disappointment. He hoped that his mom would brush off his lateness by telling him that spending time with his friends was fine, like she always did, even if he felt sick every time she said it. The two of them used to be so _close_, because without a dad and without siblings, Finn had only ever had his mom (despite Puck being a regular visitor during the weekends).

'Course, Finn wasn't the only one who had distanced himself. Since she'd started seeing Burt Hummel, his mom rarely spent time with Finn anymore, so that made her just as guilty as him, right? He told himself that anyway 'cause it lessened his guilt, and honestly, he didn't regret practically living in Rachel's house.

Still, as Finn entered the room, all eyes were on him as the cutlery stopped rattling and the food went cold. His mom looked sympathetic, Burt looked a little distracted, and Kurt just rolled his eyes because he was used to the scenario now. It had annoyed him at first since _he_ was forced to eat dinner with his dad and Carole every night, and _he_ was forced to load the dishwasher, and Finn barely did anything.

Now however, Kurt just classified it as a 'Finn thing', and thought nothing more of it because that was just one of the weird facts of life; Finn Hudson was always late. However, Kurt could sense that something was off, though not with Finn, but with his dad. He could read his dad like a book (he was like a picture book to be exact), and as Finn stood before them, Kurt watched, confused, as Burt's jaw clenched and unclenched many times over.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Finn mumbled, thrusting his hands into the pockets of his jeans. A weary, motherly smile appeared on Carole's face, to which Burt balled his hand into a fist (Kurt wasn't sure what was going on).

"Finn honey, it's okay. You were probably having such a good time with the boys that you didn't keep an eye on the time."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at Carole's naivety. He knew who Finn had been hanging out with, and it certainly wasn't the boys (though some would argue that she had the hands of a man).

"Actually, I was out with Rachel. But yeah, I forgot about the time and I'm sorry."

Normally, Finn's second apology would be the signal of the end of the conversation. He would head off to his room while the rest of the family finished off their meal, and usually, he'd would be back later to wolf down a bag of chips and several cookies. Therefore, Kurt watched, slightly dazed, as his dad's fist landed on the dining table, making the plates rattle and shake with the force; Finn stopped in his tracks.

"This is unacceptable." Kurt's face turned a murky shade of white while Finn's became red and flustered at Burt's outrage. "What about all the extra work your mom had to put into cooking for you? What about all the food you've wasted?"

Carole reached across the table to pat his hand. "Burt sweetie, it doesn't matter. It was no trouble."

He pushed her hand away as he rose from the table, throwing his knife down in an overdramatic gesture that made Kurt jump and Finn cringe. "It does matter. You lay out an amazing spread for this family, and your son doesn't even have the decency to call ahead and let you know he'll be late."

Finn seemed to shrink at the hostility in Burt's voice; it reminded him too much of the terrible 'faggy' incident, and that wasn't something he wanted to remember. "I'm sorry, I should have... It won't happen again."

Burt shook his head as he practically growled. "But it will, won't it Finn? You jerk your mom around and expect her to do everything for you regardless."

Finn looked down at his worn Converse, not able to meet Burt's eyes. He knew he was right, but it was hard trying to please everyone all the time. "I've been spending a lot of time with Rachel after what happened on vacation and I..." He felt stupid explaining himself to everyone, especially since Kurt looked like he was watching a particularly enthralling soap opera.

"You're on summer vacation. You have plenty of time to hang out with the girl who you'll forget in three years, so make sure you're here on time tomorrow night."

Finn's head snapped up, his face contorting into a look of confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Carole felt a lump in her throat because it wasn't hard to notice that Finn was particularly sensitive these days; Burt meant no harm, but she was worried that he'd set her son off. "It's just a turn of phrase sweetie." It was a long shot, but Finn seemed to accept that (he even breathed a sigh of relief). He gave a little nod, forced a smile, then looked down at his feet again.

"I mean that you'll have broken up with her by then. She'll just be another girl who you used to know. High school relationships never last. Heck, I'm sure your mom and dad didn't meet at school."

Finn was already out of the house before anyone had attempted to make an objection. He didn't hear his mom yelling for him to come back, and he didn't notice that his cell phone had fallen from his pocket as he made his quick getaway. He stumbled out of the door, not bothered where he was heading, or that it looked like it was going to rain. All Finn could think about was the honesty behind Burt's words, and they hurt more than he wanted to admit.

He_ loved _Rachel Berry. He needed her like he needed air; she wasn't a whim, she was a necessity. Of _course_ he'd remember her name in three years time! He'd remember it because they'd be engaged or something (well, maybe not engaged, but they'd still be in love). Why would he even say something so hurtful? Finn couldn't imagine himself being Berry-less ever again; he'd tried before and failed.

And then he'd mentioned his dad. It was the final kick as the pain set in. It was hard enough to deal with the fact that Burt was slowly replacing his dad in the Hudson family, but to bring him up in this context... Finn wanted to crawl onto the sidewalk and cry, despite the fact that it had indeed started to rain. Not sure where he was going, he walked slowly down the street, only knowing that he wanted to get really, _really_ drunk.

**Glee!**

Rachel tapped her foot in impatience as she checked her cell for the tenth time. Though she'd kissed him goodbye not even an hour ago, she needed to know that Finn had gotten home safely. Sure, he was tall and could rely on his fists if needed, but Rachel couldn't help worrying that someone would try to rob him or attack him or _something_. That something was all it took for her to worry, and after establishing a small routine, Finn knew that he had to let Rachel know when he was home safely.

That's why, when the minutes ticked by with no word from her boyfriend, Rachel started being overdramatic. She imagined Finn at the side of the road somewhere, slowly being eaten by stray dogs, so it came as no surprise that she felt a tear roll down her face. Finn would call her a drama queen, and she would have pouted at his accusation (while silently agreeing), but thinking about Finn's attitude only made her want to cry some more. She didn't want to come across as an obsessive, crazy girlfriend, but she decided that one text would suffice. He was probably home already, shooting zombies or something just as pointless on his Xbox.

Yes, that made sense. He'd probably just forgotten to text her (she would worry about his commitment issues later).

Still, one text couldn't hurt. She brushed her fingers over the keys on her phone, attempting to sound blasé as she did so, and hit send as she took a deep breath. As a way of distracting herself, she decided to make an impromptu video of her singing, and it didn't take Rachel long to set up the tripod and camera; she already knew what song she was going to practice. Finn had recently introduced her to The Fray, and though she hadn't listened to them before, she found the lyrics to be inspiring. Since then, she'd been slowly working on each of their songs, a surprise for Finn that she was sure he'd appreciate.

Tonight's song was Where The Story Ends, and as the backing music began to play on her stereo, she took a deep breath before singing along.

"_Trying not to lose my head, I've never been this scared before..."_

Very unprofessionally, Rachel gave up after just two lines.

She had to admit it; she was scared. Finn hadn't replied to her text, though maybe she'd been a little too cold? She fumbled with her cell phone, hurrying to type a softer message. All she needed was for him to say he was safe, and then she would be happy.

In an attempt to distract herself _again _from the gruesome details of Finn's possible death (she hated her over active imagination sometimes), Rachel decided to try exercising. She could lose herself in the gentle sways of her elliptical machine while burning off calories at the same time, and after adding the familiar melodies of Barbara Streisand in the background, she forced herself to calm down. They hadn't been dating that long, and for nearly seventeen years, Finn had been getting home fine on his own; he was a big boy, and he was probably feeling smothered by Rachel's behaviour.

Yes, this was for the best. Tomorrow she'd see Finn again, and until then, she just had to make do with his absence.

And yet, no matter how much Barbra tried to coax her out of her paranoia, Rachel couldn't keep her mind off of him. With everything that had happened on their vacation, she'd made it clear that she needed his love and company more than ever. Was he having second thoughts about dating a high maintenance girl like herself?

Before she knew what she was doing, Rachel left another text, her desperation showing through her carefully selected words. She needed to hear his voice before she could enjoy the rest of her evening, and if that made her crazy then she was clinically crazy. As she stared at her cell, she realised she only had one option; she'd have to call him. Yes, she'd look extremely needy and yes, she was being over the top, but this was Rachel Berry, and she wouldn't quit until she got what she wanted.

As the phone rang, she tried to think of what to say. Her mind went blank as someone answered, though she'd been expecting Finn's grumpy reply, not the regretful whimper of his mom.

"Mrs Hudson?" Why did she have Finn's phone? "Is Finn there please?" As Carole told her the news, Rachel felt all colour drain from her face. Finn was missing.

**Glee!**

Where was she? It was dark, it smelt _awful, _and Brittany was almost certain that she wasn't dreaming because her feet felt wet and her socks were squelching with every step she took. She pressed frantically against the buttons of her cell phone, a whimper escaping her lips.

"Please pick up San!"

"_Caller out of range."_

Brittany wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve and tried another number.

"_Caller out of range."_

"_Caller out of range."_

"_Caller out of range."_

"_Caller out of range."_

"_Hello?"_

Brittany let out a squeak. "Artie?"

"_Uh, yeah, it is... Is this Brittany?"_

She nodded at his question, though when she remembered that he couldn't see her, she whispered, "Yeah, it's me. Can you help me? I'm lost." She glanced around, though it was so dark that she couldn't really tell where she was.

"_Okay, um, sure. Where were you before you managed to get lost?"_

Britt bit her lip in thought. "I remember walking near the park while I was eating a popsicle, and oh, I saw a squirrel!" She beamed to herself; it had been a really nice day. "I thought it looked hungry so I went to say hi, but then it started to run away and I was frightened I'd upset it; can squirrels eat popsicles?" She shrugged, not waiting for an answer. "I followed the squirrel and then I lost it so I started to walk home but I didn't know where I was and then I fell in this hole..." She rubbed a hand over her butt and winced; _now_ she remembered falling. "Artie, I'm frightened."

"_Don't panic Brittany. Does it smell nasty wherever you are?"_

The blonde jumped up and down on the spot in excitement. "Yes, it really does! And it's dark too."

She heard a chuckle on the other end of the phone, but she didn't understand what Artie was laughing at. "_I think you fell down a manhole somehow."_

Brittany's eyes widened as her grip tightened on her cell. "Am I stuck forever? Should I have found a ladyhole to live in instead?"

Artie laughed again. _"No, I'll help you get out. You need to walk around and try and feel for the wall, okay? Be careful you don't trip 'cause you really don't wanna get dirty down there."_

"Okay Artie," she said obediently. "You'll keep talking to me while I try won't you?"

"_Of course I will, just be careful."_

Brittany nodded, and with one arm extended in front of her, she took careful steps around in the dark until her hand hit a solid surface. "I think I've found it!"

"_Good, okay. Now you have to keep your hand on the wall and walk along until you find some ladders, okay?"_

"Right." Brittany wrinkled her nose (it really did smell horrible) and brushed her hand along the slippery wall. "Artie, where am I?"

"_You're in the sewers Britt, but you'll be out soon."_

The sewers? Thank goodness Artie was helping her! "Oh, I've got it. I'll climb up them now but I'll have to hang up on you. Thank you for saving my life."

"_I didn't- You're welcome."_

Brittany put her cell phone in the pocket of her jeans and carefully climbed the ladder; Artie really was a nice boy.

**Glee! **

Carole Hudson loved Burt Hummel, though she still had to pinch herself some days to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She accepted his good traits along with his bad, and had even agreed to leave her family home to make him happy. She was sure that she'd do anything for that man, and yet here she was, wishing he was anywhere but beside her. She knew he meant well in his own way; cooking for four was more exhausting than cooking for two, and she had to admit that Finn's constant lateness was an annoyance, but her son was happy, and in return, she was happy too.

She cradled Finn's battered old cell phone in her hand. Though he rarely used it to call her, Carole hated to imagine him out, alone, without it. Carole frowned at the little envelope that was constantly flashing on the screen. Her nerves and curiosity getting the better of her, she decided to read his messages, just in case they were important. The screen lit up, alerting of three new texts, all from Rachel Berry. Carole felt her chest ache just thinking about that girl. She was so different to Quinn, yet Carole had never seen Finn so happy.

"_Thanks for letting me know you're safe Finn Hudson! That was indeed sarcasm, and as a result, I'm not going to call you before bed. Hope you're happy. Rachel x_"

"_Okay, sorry for being so mean. You are home and safe, right? Of course you are, but just let me know, even if it's just the word yes. Rachel x_"

"_Finn, you're scaring me now. Is everything okay? You know I love you, right? Because I do. I love you more than a text can say. Please call me. Rachel xxx_"

"Carole, Rachel's at the door."

Carole snapped out of her trance at Kurt's declaration; had it really been fifteen minutes? "Thanks honey, would you let her in?"

Kurt ushered Rachel inside, stopping himself from insulting her clothes due to the fresh tear stains on her face. "Can I get you something to drink?" he asked her soothingly.

She smiled as best she could while nodding. "Black tea with two sugars please. Thanks Kurt."

"I'll be right with you Miss Berry, please take a seat in the living room."

She timidly made her way towards Carole, who held out her arms instinctively, ready to envelope her in a hug. Burt cleared his throat awkwardly, muttered something about football, then left the girls to it.

Rachel breathed in the smell of home cooking, soap and motherly love, treasuring it as best she could. "What... what happened?" She was frightened to know the situation, but she wanted to help in any way possible. As far as she knew, Finn had been more than happy when she'd spent the day with him; what could have triggered his storm out?

Carole gently pushed Rachel away, though only so she could see her properly as she told her everything. "He had a bit of a falling out with Kurt's dad, that's all." She forced a smile, though Rachel wasn't buying it.

"It was about me, wasn't it? Did I make him late? If so, I'm extremely sorry Mrs Hudson. I pride myself on being on time for everything, and Finn never mentioned having other plans..." She paused to take a deep breath; she needed to calm herself down.

"Rachel honey, it wasn't your fault. Finn's never been on time for anything in his life." This time, Carole's smile was genuine. "Burt was a little agitated that Finn was late, and accidentally said that... well, that high school relationships don't always last. Finn got a little upset, and then he stormed out."

Rachel nodded in perfect understanding. "Yes, it is true that a high percentage of high school couples split after graduation, but we're going to be the exception."

Carole gave a shaky laugh. "Well, if you can convince Finn of that, then we're all sorted."

Kurt appeared with Rachel's tea, which gave her time to sit and think about what Carole had just told her. It was amazingly sweet that Finn was so upset by this knowledge, though Rachel was a little disappointed that he hadn't talked to her about it; if given the chance, she could have assured him that they would be together long after high school was over.

For the next few hours, Rachel remained on the couch, waiting silently for Finn to return home. Kurt kept her company for a little while, though since the conversation was so strained, he assumed that she'd prefer to be left on her own. Burt appeared now and again, asking if she wanted anything, but he too decided to give Rachel her space when she refused everything he suggested. Only Carole stayed by her side, occasionally asking her about school and glee club, though she left her to her own thoughts for most of the night.

"Rachel, shall I let your dads know that you're staying the night?"

Rachel's eyes widened at the suggestion. Her first night at Finn's and he wasn't even present to enjoy it. Still, she wasn't ready to leave, not until he made an appearance, so she gave a quick nod. "Yes please Mrs Hudson."

The kind woman smiled. "Call me Carole, honey."

**Glee!**

Finn staggered home (well, Kurt's home, since he still wasn't completely comfortable living there). He hadn't drank much, mainly 'cause he'd only had ten dollars on him, though he was still surprised to know that most places didn't ask for ID (hurray for freakishly tall sixteen year olds!). He didn't know what time it was, but judging by the darkness (when had that appeared?) it was really late. That was a good thing; he was sure Burt would be asleep by now. He felt a twinge of guilt at how his mom would have reacted, though hopefully she'd realise what an ass Burt Hummel really was.

No, he didn't mean that really. Hell, he'd acted a lot worse that Kurt's dad (it hurt that Rachel's face came to mind), and Burt was alright most of the time.

Thinking briefly of Rachel made Finn frown in sudden disbelief. He hadn't had the chance to let her know he was home (one of her weird little needs), and she hadn't kicked off about that? He fumbled around in his pants pocket, only to realise that his cell wasn't there.

Crap.

Luckily, he'd somehow made it home. All of the lights were off, apart from the living room (as far as he could make out), which was a little odd, though maybe Burt was watching re-runs of Deadliest Catch (why he loved a show about crabs Finn could never understand).

Stumbling towards the door, more out of exhaustion than intoxication, he realised he didn't have a key. Just in case, he pressed his hand onto the handle, only to find that it was unlocked. He decided not to question his good luck, but shuffled inside, trying to keep the volume down.

Rachel had been perched in the same position for hours. Though she'd spent most of the night in the Hummels' living room, she'd politely asked for a dining chair that would allow her to wait by the door. Carole didn't have the heart to tell her to get some sleep (Rachel would have refused anyway), so there she sat, waiting for Finn to come home.

_Five_

As the door handle moved, she gripped the side of the chair in fright. She hoped more than anything that the intruder was Finn, and not some axe-wielding burglar, because it was a really inconvenient time to be murdered; surely they could come back next week?

_Four_

Finn pushed himself through the door, wincing as it made a noise when it closed. He'd failed to notice his girlfriend sitting before him, anger burning in her eyes, and was about to stumble up the stairs without a word.

_Three_

Rachel had been thinking about their reunion all night (there wasn't much else to occupy herself with). She imagined a cliché slow motion run, Finn twirling her around in the air as he told her a million times that he loved her, and even though she'd (begrudgingly) known that this wouldn't be the case, she hadn't expected to feel bitter and cold. She tried her best to shake these feelings away, but as the faint smell of alcohol reached her nose, she realised how _angry_ she was. He'd put her through _hell_, and regardless if that was unintentional, he'd made her worry for his safety all night long.

_Two_

Finn breathed a sigh of relief; he was home, and he couldn't wait to sleep. He tried to walk on the tips of his toes as best as he could before registering the scene before him. Rachel Berry was sitting on some kind of seat (was that from the kitchen?), giving him the most aggressive glare he'd ever seen. He stood still, not sure what to do or say; why was she even here? She walked towards him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, before she slapped him hard across the face.

_One  
_

The sound seemed to echo around the room, yet neither of them said a word. Though his cheek was stinging like a bitch, it was the look on Rachel's face that hurt Finn the most; it was as if she'd given up on him.

His own eyes watered as the pain kicked in. He wanted to reach up and touch Rachel's cheek, but he didn't get the chance before she flung her arms around his neck, tears streaming down her face, running into Finn's shirt. On instinct, he returned the favour by wrapping his arms around her tiny frame, pulling her up closer towards his chest.

"I hate you Finn Hudson, but I love you so much," she whispered. It was hard to make it out since her voice was shaking with emotion, but her words seemed to cling to the fabric of Finn's shirt.

"I love you too Rach." Gently, he lifted her off of the ground, cradling her like a child as he took careful steps towards his bedroom. Rachel said nothing, though neither did he; he simply assumed that both of them were too tired to fight. He took the stairs two steps at a time and pressed his back against his bedroom door. As he stepped inside, he made a mental note to thank his mom for tidying his mess. Still, it was so dark that Rachel wouldn't have noticed much, and besides, with her face still pressed against Finn's shoulder, all she could see was her tears. "You can sleep in my bed Rachel," Finn whispered whilst placing her on the top of his duvet. He didn't hesitate to grab an old sleeping bag from his wardrobe since the last thing he wanted was to upset her further.

"No, Finn, please sleep with me."

If he'd been awake and sober, Finn would have taken her words literally, though her innocence could have been spotted a mile away. Still, he didn't complain. Once Rachel was comfy enough, he slipped in beside her, almost frightened to touch her. He wasn't sure what he'd done wrong, but whatever it was, he felt pretty guilty already. His arm ached to pull her closer, to press her against his chest, to rock her until she slept, though he ignored these urges and tried to get to sleep himself, thinking of sheep jumping over fences (he gave up after the third one).

"Finn?" Rachel's whimper was incredibly quiet, though since he was fine-tuned to her voice, Finn heard her perfectly.

"Is everything okay Rach?" Though he could barely see her outline in the darkness, he felt his body stiffen as she adjusted her position, choosing to lay against him like he'd wanted her to. In response, he wrapped his right arm around her waist, resulting in a content sigh from Rachel.

"It is now," she admitted in a whisper. Finn, though exhausted, couldn't help but grin stupidly at what was happening. Sure, he hadn't imagined their first night at his house to go like this (being slapped was never part of the plan, at least in a non-kinky kind of way), but as he held her tightly and protectively, he realised how little he needed to be happy. As his eyelids began to flutter with fatigue, he whispered the final thing that was on his mind.

"Night Rachel. I love you." Finn didn't hear his girlfriend's reply and he didn't hear her sniffle as tears rushed down her cheeks.

**Glee!**

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **You know something? If you say it really fast, New Directions sounds like nude erections.  
_3 people like this_

**Kurt Hummel **Oh dear God, you've officially ruined glee club for me now.

**Artie Abrams **That's whack.

**Quinn Fabray **It's comments like these that make me realise how much I miss you.

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **Q, you being serious?

**Quinn Fabray **No.  
_2 people like this_

**Noah 'Puck' Puckerman **Bitch.

**Glee!**

Rachel woke, slightly disorientated, at half past six in the morning, an arm around her waist and a face against her hair. For a second she felt a stab of panic in her chest because she didn't remember staying at Finn's, and then as recollection of the night before began to appear, she felt her heart jump into her throat; she was supposed to be mad at him. She shifted her body, careful not to wake him, and looked up at his face; Finn's eyelids flickered with sleep, his mouth hung slightly open, and he just looked so _peaceful_.

She couldn't do this. Knowing that he was a heavy sleeper, Rachel gently prised herself from Finn's grasp and disappeared out of his room, not daring to look back in case she caved and decided to stay; let's see how awful he felt when the tables were turned.

**A/N**: I'm still alive, just so you know haha. Okay, there are a few things I need to say. Firstly, if you haven't been getting alerts from Fanfiction (it seems to be random; some people haven't been affected while others have), visit your account page, and click on the alerts tab. Depending on your preferences, some/all of them should be set to **enabled**, but for whatever reason, some people have found that they're all set to disabled; just change them accordingly and you should be good to go.

Secondly, my Finchel future fic is up (well, four chapters of it anyway) in case anyone's interested in that.

Thirdly, I'm now on tumblr! I made the account about half a year ago but never really used it, but now I'm slightly addicted x) I go by **finchel **on there, so if you have a blog, drop me a message and I'll follow you back :)

And lastly, thank you a hundred times over to everyone that left a review on my last Jigsaw chapter, asking me to continue this fic; it really made me happy, and yeah, just thank you for still reading my stories :')


	31. Chapter 31

Finn's mornings usually panned out in the same way. He'd wake at about eleven thirty to the sound of some of Kurt's music, he'd try to block it out by pressing his pillow over his head, and after a lot of grumbling and cursing, he'd pull himself out of bed at nearly twelve o'clock, looking just as tired and shitty as he felt. Course, if he was meeting Rachel for a jog in the park (which had seemed a good idea at the time 'cause he did need to stay fit while they were on vacation), that meant he had to be awake and dressed for nine, and in turn, _that_ meant that he had to sleep in until one the next day to make up for it.

Was his body magic, though? See, the night before he'd been drinking, he'd gotten home late, and yet at seven o'clock he was somehow awake, glancing around the room in disorientation and exhaustion. He was about to groan and fall back into more well needed sleep when he remembered who'd been waiting for him the night before, and who'd shared his bed. He smiled at the thought of waking up next to Rachel, but then it dawned on him that she wasn't snuggled up against him, and she wasn't scrunched up at the other side of the bed, and she wasn't _anywhere._

"Rach?" he croaked, rubbing his eyes as he looked at his clock. Seven o'clock; he hadn't seen _that_ time in a while. "Rachel?" Dragging himself out of bed (after checking that he was still wearing pants), Finn looked under his bed, peered into all the drawers of his dresser, glanced out of the window, and after understanding that Rachel wasn't there anymore, he cried.

Okay, he cried for like, thirty seconds, so it wasn't a huge deal, but he didn't really remember what had happened the night before, and fucking hell, what if he'd tried to have sex with her or something? What if she'd said no, and what if he'd tried to pressure her into it? What if they _had _done it, and what if she'd been disappointed? Maybe she was embarrassed because he was lousy in the sack, and maybe she'd decided to ditch him in favour of Puck, who knew his way around the sex stuff.

"Oh God, Rachel's gonna dump me because I raped her and she knows she can get it from Puck and she'll be satisfied because I'm such a douche."

"It sounds like you had an interesting dream."

Finn's head snapped up as he looked at Rachel, who was standing in the doorway of his room, looking slightly amused, yet at the same time hesitant. "Rach?"

"Can I come in?" she asked quietly, wringing her hands a little as she glanced at her feet. "I left, but I couldn't actually leave, so I've been sitting in your kitchen, hoping it was okay and-"

"Sure, of course, come in." He smoothed out his duvet so it looked more welcoming, 'cause while he'd been searching for her under his old clothes and stuff, he'd managed to mess up his room pretty badly. He patted the bed, trying to give her his biggest smile, though he was pretty sure that it just came off as condescending (yeah, Rachel could take credit for that word but at least he was using it right... right?).

She took a deep breath and took small, slightly cautious steps towards him, perching on the edge of the bed, though she avoided making any kind of physical contact.

Finn didn't know how to deal with this. What was the nicest way to ask if he'd forced her to have sex with him? And then like, what if she said he had? 'Cause he didn't remember much of the night before, and if he _had_ forced himself onto her... was he really that person?

"We didn't do it, if that's what you're worried about," Rachel said calmly, her eyes focused on his face. "Even if you'd been drinking, Finn, do you really think that little of yourself?" She had to gulp a few times to steady her breathing as she watched the confusion and relief drift across his features because there was something so vulnerable about him that made her want to wrap him in a hug.

"I... I don't know," he admitted, furrowing his brow as he returned her gaze. "I woke up and you weren't there, and I've heard the guys on the football team talk about getting so wasted until they don't know what they're doing, and..." He shrugged, looking defeated. "Why should I be any different? I screwed up by storming out, I screwed up by sleeping with Santana, I screwed up by hurting you _so_ many times." Finn shrugged again, to which Rachel sighed.

"Stop this."

"What?"

She folded her arms across her chest, and with her jaw clenched, she glared at him. "Stop feeling _sorry_ for yourself." She ignored the expression on his face that said 'don't even go there', and said curtly, "Instead of throwing yourself a pity party, you should be explaining to me what _possessed_ you to leave the house without your cell phone, and what _possessed_ you to go drinking when you're underage, and what _possessed_ you to not even call to let me know that you were alive!" She snorted, her cheeks flaring with colour. "So, I'm going to give you two minutes to compose your thoughts, and if you can't give me a decent explanation..." She bit her lip, her weakness showing for a second before she huffed, "then I guess that's the time when you can feel sorry for yourself."

Finn just stared at her like she was some crazy yet beautiful girl who had just saved his life and was now asking if it was okay to slap him. That kind of attitude always amazed him, actually (and yeah, maybe it turned him on too). Rachel had the ability to be the most supportive person in the world, and yet at the flick of a switch, she was able to tear you down without a second thought. Thing was though, it was a _good_ type of tearing down. Like, when he'd dated Quinn (he didn't try to dwell on that too much 'cause that was the past, and not exactly an enjoyable part of it), she used to tear Finn down constantly, but not for his own benefit, you see? She'd call him stupid and she'd call him a moron and she'd call him all these _not cool_ insults, and it was never to help him improve; it was just to make him feel bad. With Rachel? She knew exactly what to say to really get to him, but _only_ for his own benefit.

Take the Lady Gaga thing for example. After 'the incident' with Kurt, Finn had talked to Rachel 'cause he didn't have anyone else to turn to, and after he'd spilled his guts about that awful word he'd used, she'd told him, reminded him more like, that he'd been in the wrong, even if Kurt had overstepped his boundaries. In that moment, Finn had felt even worse because he'd been half hoping that Rachel would understand, and that she would hug him and tell him that it would all be okay. Nope; instead she'd just enforced the fact that Kurt would be really hurt by Finn's comments, and that he had to make things better. But see, _that's_ how she did it. She'd point out the error or mistake that Finn had made, and then she'd help him make things right, and that was one of the things he loved about her.

This was the same thing. He already knew that he'd been an idiot by running out of the house like that, and he already knew he had some apologising to do, but after hearing it from her lips, it was like it had finally sunk in what he'd done, and how he had to fix things.

"Did you talk to my mom?" he finally asked. It felt like an eternity had passed since the 'two minutes or I'm leaving' ultimatum thing, and his voice was all croaky and not so confident.

Rachel nodded. "She explained what had happened between you and Mr Hummel, and she offered me some insight into why you left the way you did."

Finn cocked his head, because if she knew the story already, then what was there to tell? "And?"

"And I don't believe it."

"I uh... wait, what?"

"I don't believe it, Finn." She shook her head, her eyes shiny and big and brown. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not questioning the events that your mother divulged, but I _am_ questioning your motives for leaving like that." Suddenly, the mock hostility that had been present in her voice, face, and general body language melted away, and all Finn could see was a vulnerable little girl who was having a hard time keeping it together. "You could have called me, and we could have stayed up all night talking about how we're going to overcome the obstacles to remain a couple after high school." Her voice turned to a whisper. "You could have come round to my house, and I could have proven how much I _really_ do love you."

"Rachel, I-"

"But instead," she said, her words tinged with disgust, "you chose to abandon your family, causing them to worry for your safety, and you chose to go _drinking_, and you chose to abandon _me_." She wiped angrily at her eyes where a few tears had escaped, though she didn't allow herself to cry. "Why?"

And you know what? Finn didn't have an answer to that. He'd done it without thinking, had run away because he was hurting, and only now was he realising that he'd made a bigger mistake than he'd thought because he'd _never_ meant to make Rachel doubt herself, doubt _them._

"Because I'm an idiot," he admitted, to which Rachel rolled her eyes.

"No you're not!" she barked, throwing her hands in the air. "That is never the case because you're one of the smartest people I know."

"Please, you've gotta be-"

"You're smart in a less obvious way, Finn, and just because you're not so great at math, or just because you have difficulty finding Ohio on a map doesn't mean that you're an idiot." She softened her voice in an attempt to will him to listen, and it worked, though only because Finn wanted to see what crap she could come up with on the spur of the moment. "You're intelligent when it comes to people. You see the good in everyone, even if it's buried below anger and hostility, and you have the ability to believe in people when they sometimes don't even believe in themselves." She didn't elaborate, hoping he could understand on his own. "There's book smart, and then there's people smart, and they're just as important as each other, okay?" Her eyes clouded over as she remembered what they were talking about, and she huffed again for good measure. "So no, you're not an idiot, and if that's the only explanation you have then maybe I should leave."

"Wait." Finn wrapped his fingers around Rachel's wrist as he gently tugged on her, not allowing her to go. "I know why, and it's kind of only just hit me after all the stuff you've been saying." He relaxed his grip, though brushed his hand up and down her arm as he tried to word his thoughts properly. "I was scared, and I'm _still_ scared, but then when I tell you why you'll tell me I'm being ridiculous or something, but I'm not, Rachel."

Rachel's face softened. "You can tell me." She reached a hand out to stroke Finn's cheek, and with a sigh he nodded.

"I'm scared that you're gonna realise how wrong we are for each other." He pressed a finger to her plump lips before she could protest because he really needed to explain himself, before she tried to get him to hear otherwise. "Right now we're great. I mean, not _right_ now, but before all this stuff, and that's nice, awesome even..." He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and shrugged. "But just look at it from someone else's perspective, Rach. Like, take Burt for example." He literally winced; that was another bridge he was gonna have to cross, or mend, or whatever the hell that saying was. "He's been married before and he's in love with my mom, and he's probably had other girlfriends along the way, and so he must know more about love then us, right? 'Cause he thinks we're not gonna last after high school, and fuck, what do we know?" He didn't care that he'd cursed in front of her (and usually she'd playfully slap him on the wrist and tell him to watch his language), and Rachel didn't seem to care either, only watching him as he vented. "I thought I was in love with my first girlfriend, and then she cheated on me and lied to me about a baby that was never mine. Then you and me started dating, and I was so blind that I couldn't even see that you were the best thing to ever happen to me, so then I ended it and-"

"But don't you see?" Rachel grabbed Finn's hands, brushing her thumbs over his knuckles. "Don't you see that you've just proven it yourself? You thought you were in love with Quinn, and then you broke up with me because you thought it was for the best, but you're missing out the most important part of the story."

Finn cocked his head, raising his eyebrows. "I don't get it."

"Tell me what happens next," she insisted, pressing her lips to the palm of his hand. "What happens after you ended it?"

He frowned; had she forgotten or something? "I realised that I needed you, and I realised what real love is and... oh, okay, I think I get it."

"But do you?" Rachel asked excitedly. "Because no matter how old Mr Hummel is, and no matter how much experience he has of falling in love, he isn't _you,_ isn't _us,_ so what does he know?" She smiled this huge, proud smile that made Finn's head feel dizzy since she'd been practically yelling at him not even five minutes ago, but at least they were making progress (erm, weren't they? He was kind of confused). "I don't know how he met Kurt's mom, and for all we know it was a typical boy meets girl kind of encounter where he swept her off her feet and married her the next week." She wrinkled her nose a little. "Not that that's a bad thing, but what I'm trying to say, Finn, is that I'm almost one hundred percent sure that he wasn't the quarterback who was dating the head cheerleader, and that he wasn't the boy that was bribed into joining glee club where he fell for the talented, slightly overbearing lead singer, and that he wasn't the boy who was confused for a while because his Spanish teacher gave him some, frankly, ill advised advice about finding his inner rock star." She stopped to take a breath, during which time a smile crept onto Finn's face. "I'm also certain that he wasn't made jealous by the arrival of a new love interest to the female star, and that he wasn't the boy who performed a powerful, goose bump worthy rendition of Jessie's Girl , and then declared his love for Mrs Hummel before their Regional competition."

"And that means..."

Rachel sighed slightly and rolled her eyes, though she couldn't stop herself from grinning. "Which means that although Mr Hummel is happy and head over heels in love with your mother, he only knows his _own _definition of love, and will never truly understand what it means when we say that we'll be forever in Finchel love."

Finn spluttered with a laugh, 'cause he'd been expecting her to say something, else, not- "Finchel?"

Rachel shrugged innocently. "It's our couple name. Whenever anyone in the glee club gets together, they're given a name, and ours is Finchel."

"Huh." Finn threaded his fingers between hers, grinning as he thought it over. "I like the sound of that, like we're some kind of pastry or something, all delicious and stuff." He looked away for a second, trying to compose his thoughts. "I see what you're saying, babe, I do, but-"

"No buts Finn Hudson." Her eyes narrowed, and crap, he didn't mean to set her off again, but before he knew how to right the situation, she was pushing him down onto the bed, straddling his waist as she peppered his face in small, steamy kisses. "I love you, you love me, _we're a happy family."_

Finn groaned as he laughed; there was _no way_ his girlfriend was serenading him with the Barney song. "Okay, okay, enough with the dinosaur, I love you t-" He didn't get the chance to finish his declaration because Rachel's lips found their way to his, and even if he still felt a small sliver of fear in his stomach, he knew that she was never gonna let him go.

**Glee!**

"I really have to leave," Rachel whined, breaking away from their kiss. "My dads weren't too happy with me staying the night, and I promised I'd be home before lunch."

"Ssssh," Finn murmured, latching his mouth to her neck as he grazed his teeth over her warm, slightly perfumey skin. "It's not even twelve yet so I'm sure they won't mind." His hands ran under her shirt and up her back, and Rachel was having a hard time thinking straight.

"No, Finn, I really have to go." Reluctantly, she pulled herself from his grasp, though not before pressing a sloppy kiss to his forehead. "I have to go for dinner tonight to make it up to them, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She hated the way his face fell, but she really _did_ have to leave.

"Fine, I have to sort things out with Burt anyway." He smiled as a way of letting her know it was okay, and fifteen minutes later, after he was sure that the taste of his girlfriend was never gonna leave his tongue (it was _awesome_), he waved her off, unable to rid himself of the goofy grin on his lips.

"_Someone_ got lucky last night," drawled Kurt, who had apparently appeared beside Finn. "I should be grateful though because I thankfully couldn't hear the two of you fornicating, so yes, thank you for being considerate by keeping the noise of your love making to a minimum."

Finn just gawped at him before he snorted and spluttered at the same time. "We didn't have sex, if that's what you're talking about; we just sorted some stuff out and did a lot of making out." He smirked at the memory of Rachel's sore, puffy lips, not noticing the look of disdain on Kurt's face.

"Okay Romeo, I don't need to know the specifics. But you're okay now, after your little vanishing act?"

The smirk disappeared as Finn rubbed the back of his neck with embarrassment. "Yeah, we are. Um, is your dad around?"

"He's watching TV, though I wouldn't interrupt if I were you since- Fine, just ignore me why don't you!" Kurt sighed dramatically as Finn made his way into the living room where his mom and Burt were seated, chatting quietly while some show played in the background.

"Hi honey, has Rachel left yet?"

"Yeah," he said meekly to his mom, watching Burt out of the corner of his eye. "Her dads didn't want her to stay for long 'cause of... Yeah." Finn shuffled his feet awkwardly, sticking his hands into the pockets of his jeans to keep them occupied. "Erm, can I talk to you guys about something?"

"Actually, I need to talk to you too," said Burt, who stood up to meet Finn's gaze. "And to you Kurt, I know you're lurking behind the door."

Finn turned to look over at the boy in question, and rolled his eyes with a smirk; trust Kurt to be listening in to their conversation. He walked in and stood beside Finn, and then all eyes were on Burt, who seemed nervous about something.

"I'm sorry that I overreacted yesterday." Burt motioned for Finn and Kurt to sit down with Carole, and while Kurt looked intrigued, Finn looked downright confused; he needed to apologise, not Burt. "When my late wife was still alive, she always made sure that the three of us ate dinner together, even if I had an emergency tyre to replace, and even if Kurt had 'soccer practice'."

"It was ballet," Kurt whispered, and Finn's lip twitched with a smile.

"Then she passed away, and I tried my best to keep it going but course, I couldn't cook to save my life, so Kurt made me dinner and left it in the oven for when I got home from work." Burt looked fondly at Carole, and so fondly in fact that Finn felt the need to look away and gag; was that the way he stared at Rachel?

He stared at her a lot, actually. In glee club, he'd shamelessly watched her all the time; when they were dating the first time, and he'd been trying to figure out what he wanted; after they broke up he realised what he really did want and had admire her from afar and had pined for her when Jesse was around; now he just stared because she was hot/beautiful, and he wanted to be a good boyfriend (even if it meant watching and drooling over her boobs).

"And then I met Carole, who I love with all of my heart, and I wanted us to fall into the same routine. Not because I want to replace my wife," he insisted, switching his now solemn gaze to Kurt. "By eating together, it makes us come together as a family. We talk about glee club and football and cars and flowers and cats and taxes and we talk."

Finn shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He hadn't missed mealtimes on purpose, of course he hadn't, but it made him feel incredibly guilty all the same, especially when Burt made a real effort with all of them.

"I'm sorry that I got angry Finn," Burt continued quietly, and all Finn could do was nod and stare. "I know it's no excuse, but yesterday... Yesterday was the anniversary of when I first met-"

And then he started to cry, and then Carole started to cry as she comforted him, and Finn was _so_ out of his depth because crying people weren't really his forte. He looked to Kurt for some guidance, an uncomfortable smile or a grimace of despair or _something_, but crap, even he had started to tear up, and Finn just wanted to crawl up in a hole until it was all over.

"Group hug, c'mon," Burt suddenly announced, and oh, okay, they were all hugging and crying while Finn couldn't wait to get away to talk to Rachel. "She's a keeper, your gal," Burt said as he tightened his grip on his family. "Forget all that stuff I said yesterday Finn; if you're in love then good for you buddy, and just make sure you take real good care of her."

"Yes sir." Finn already had that one covered.

**Glee!**

"Tell me again what it's supposed to be?"

Sam sighed dramatically as he rolled his eyes, managing a small grin. "Na'vi."

"Which is...?"

"Come on Quinn, seriously? It's from Avatar!"

Quinn wrinkled her nose in slight distaste, returning her gaze to the magazine in her lap. "Of course it is, how could I forget?"

"Awesome, I'm glad you remember, Avatar is _so_ awesome."

Quinn sighed; Sam evidently didn't grasp the concept of sarcasm.

"Sure," she said under her breath while flicking through Cosmo with a slight air of fatigue. "Have you made any new friends yet?"

Sam shook his head, and Quinn watched as his perfect blonde hair swayed from side to side. "Church isn't exactly a great place to bag chicks. I mean uh, not that I was trying to bag anyone in the first place, and I'm really glad that you're my friend, Quinn." He trailed off, gazing forlornly out of her bedroom window. "I just wish I had some dude friends too."

While Sam somehow started comparing his life to Sandy's from Grease, Quinn's fingers fluttered over the keys on her cell phone.

_To: Kurt; Puck; Finn; Artie; Mike; Matt._

_I have a new friend who is really lonely and just wants someone to play with. I'll love you forever if you could give him a chance. Q x_

Unsurprisingly, Puck was the first to reply, though considering he was supposed to be in the dog house, he sounded bitter; it was still a yes though.

When everyone replied, eager to meet Sammy Evans, Quinn lightly patted his arm and told him that they were going out for a while.

"Where to? I'm not so great with crowds..."

"Pandora, now come on." Sure, Quinn had seen the movie, it wasn't a big deal.

"Will you marry me?"

**A/N: **And here begins Rachael's attempt to update regularly once more (The Rest of our Lives will be updated asap).

Just as a heads up, the review system on FF has changed, and unless you have personal messages enabled, I can't reply to the amazing reviews you leave :( Therefore, if you haven't received a reply from me when you've left feedback, I'm afraid that's the reason.

Thanks for all the wonderful comments as usual, and I hope you all enjoyed the finale of Glee as much as I did! Rachael x


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